


Yes, Professor?

by AwkwardPotatoChild



Series: A Thousand Words [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Student/Teacher, Angst with a Happy Ending, Anxiety, Depression, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Teacher-Student Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-09
Updated: 2017-07-08
Packaged: 2018-09-15 21:51:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 50,813
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9258665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwkwardPotatoChild/pseuds/AwkwardPotatoChild
Summary: "Good morning! I'm Professor Nikiforov! I look forward to being with you all this semester."Dammit! No one told me he had an accent too! And to think this was all started because I wanted some pudding!





	1. Hey Puddin

**Author's Note:**

> I'm trying to take advantage of the fact that I actually have time to write before uni drowns me in work.  
> The idea for this came from various incidents that actually happened between me and one of my former professors. We were just good friends, but looking back, they could've made for a really good RomCom. I don't exactly know when and why my life became filled with so many RomCom moments, but I can tell you that there have been enough incidents for me to create two OTP prompts list and I am currently working on a third. ~~You can find them[here](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/post/150897616296/otp-prompts-based-off-of-romcom-moments-in-my-life) and [here](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/post/152042481181/otp-prompts-based-off-of-romcom-moments-in-my), if you're interested.~~  
>  Anyway, this was originally going to be a series of one-shots, but I guess it'll be an actual fic for now. So here we go! I hope you guys like it!
> 
> Oh! I'd also like to note that I use Viktor and Yuri for spelling, so yeah. If you're not used to that, I'm sorry. I might change it if people complain, but on va voir.  
> If there are any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **EDIT:** Want to learn some extra little tidbits about this fic? Feel free to check out [the special extras tag](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/tagged/yes-professor-extras) on my tumblr. Don't hesitate to send me questions of your own too. :]
> 
>  **EDIT 2:** Want to know how the writing is going? I now have [an updates tag](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/tagged/annie-writes-updates) on my tumblr! :]

Snap! Snap!

“Alright! That looks good for now! Sorry, Yuri!” called Phichit as he ran up to his friend and roommate who was patiently waiting. He quickly placed the camera back in its bag while Yuri readjusted his own bag on his shoulder.

“It’s okay. I know the deadline for your project is coming soon. We have time before the party starts anyway.”

The two smiled at each other and continued heading towards the art building while discussing their days. Although they lived with each other, with the end of the semester nearing, both were drowning in work and communication between the two was minimal at best. They were fine with focusing on what they had to do, but sometimes, you just need to spend some time with your best friend.

“So what do you think they’ll have there, Yuri? I hope there’s a lot of chocolate! I’ve been craving something chocolatey,” exclaimed Phichit with a smile and a skip in his step.

“You’re always craving chocolate,” chuckled Yuri in response.

At the end of each semester, the art department holds a small party for all of the graduating students. There weren’t as many students graduating at the end of the fall semester, but that didn’t mean the event would lack in guests. While it’s meant to be a small send-off for the upcoming graduates, the party was open to all of the art majors and minors for it served as a nice break from the chaos that comes with the end of a semester and was a good way for students to meet and talk to professors in a casual setting.

When they arrived at the lounge on the third floor, a good number of students and professors were already milling about and grabbing goods. The two friends decided to set their belongings down before heading over to the tables to get their share of treats.

Phichit immediately stuffed a chocolate chip scone into his mouth and proceeded to place another onto his plate causing Yuri to laugh. Yuri, however, gravitated towards the small cups of pudding near the end of the table instead.

With food in hand, the two conversed amicably with some other students. Yuri noticed Yuri Plisetsky talking to Professor Feltsman in the corner. He couldn’t help but stare in awe at the younger student who was believed to have gotten to university on a full scholarship. His eyes moved over to focus on others around the room as well. He smiled at Chris and JJ animatedly discussing something. Guang-Hong and Leo were having a much quieter conversation on one of the couches.

It was then that Yuri noticed a man with silver hair who was unknown to Yuri. He overheard someone call him professor and Yuri made a confused face at this. The art department wasn’t all that big and Yuri took pride in the fact that he was able to recognize the professors even if he hadn’t had the chance to speak with them personally. He wondered if any professors had left or if there was a course that needed an extra professor to maybe come up with a name he might have heard in passing. Yuri could see that the man was clearly young and attractive from his place across the room and the group of students who seemed to be hanging onto his every word added to that idea. The man he was looking at laughed at something while Yuri continued to ponder who he might be.

“Hey Yuri! How are you?”

Yuri was shaken from his thoughts by a familiar voice. He turned and smiled to his instructor for the last couple of years, Professor Okukawa.

“Oh! Professor! Sorry. I got distracted there for a moment,” said Yuri sheepishly.

“Pft! It’s alright. Everyone’s been distracted. It’s the end of the semester and we’ve all got finals and projects to be focusing on. Which brings up my next question, have you decided on submitting anything for the student exhibit in spring?”

Yuri looked at his feet and his hands unconsciously grabbed at the hem of his shirt. He gave a shrug before answering.

“Maybe? I, uh, I don’t know yet.”

“Come on, Yuri! You should submit something! Your work is good! I’m sure it’ll get accepted!”

“Yeah. I know. It’s just, um, I don’t have any pieces I’d care to submit just yet, ya know?”

Professor Okukawa gave a sigh before responding to her reluctant former student.

“Alright. I understand, but remember that the deadline is in March. That might seem far, but it’ll go by in a wink, if you’re not paying attention.”

“Thanks, professor. I’ll keep that in mind.” responded Yuri with a small smile. Professor Okukawa smiled back and patted his shoulder before going to talk to another student.

Feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything, Yuri figured now would be a good time for him and Phichit to leave. Both of them had plenty of work that they needed to finish anyway. With a quick nod to each other, the two got their things and heading towards the lift. As they waited, Yuri noticed Phichit with another chocolate chip scone and decided to head back and grab an extra cup of pudding since they were still waiting. However, Yuri seemed to have run into a minor problem.

In front of the pudding was the silver haired professor and a group of students who were effectively blocking Yuri’s path around the table. The other end of the table was blocked by another group conversing as well. He couldn’t exactly slip behind the unknown professor to reach for a cup since Professor Baranovskaya was behind him. Yuri wasn’t exactly one for confrontation, so he internally debated whether or not the pudding would be worth it. He didn’t actually know Professor Baranovskaya, so he didn’t want to just ask her to move. Besides, he had heard she was one of the stricter professors and he didn’t want to get on her bad side beforehand. Yuri didn’t expect to run into this much trouble over a cup of pudding.

During his brief moment of deliberation, an opportunity arose for Yuri. Professor Baranovskaya took a few steps forward which created a small gap for Yuri to potentially slip into. The space wasn’t that large, but Yuri figured it would be enough for him to reach in, grab a cup, and leave. He quickly shimmied towards the table and reached for the dessert, but realized it was just a bit short. Yuri leaned forward a bit more and that’s when it happened.

Yuri had overestimated how big the gap was and when he reached that extra bit forward, he ended up bumping into the attractive professor. Yuri’s eyes widened and he gave a small squeak at what he had just done.

“Oh!”

The attractive professor turned his head to see who had bumped into him. Yuri couldn’t hide his mortification at the fact that he had just pushed someone out of the way for a cup of pudding.

“Sorry! Am I in your way?” inquired the professor, but Yuri hadn’t heard a single thing since he shouted a quick apology and was already sprinting back towards the lift. His sudden disappearance caused the professor to tilt his head in an inquisitive manner.

To say Phichit was confused was an understatement, especially since his best friend just frantically ran up to him while yelling at him to push the button to the lift already and the proceeded to just shove him inside. Once in the lift, Phichit tentatively asked if Yuri was alright while taking in his frazzled state.

“I...I just…” muttered Yuri worriedly.

“You just what, Yuri?”

“I just shoved a professor out of the way for a cup of pudding…”

His response only made Phichit even more confused.

“What?”

“I just shoved a professor out of the way for a cup of pudding...and then I ran away…”

“Umm…”

“I can never face him again…”

“Yuri…”

“I just shoved a professor for a cup of pudding and then I ran away! What do I do, Phichit?!” yelled Yuri. He began to pace back and forth within the small space.

“Yuri, you’re not making any sense. You need to calm down and tell me exactly what happened.”

Taking a deep breath, Yuri began to quickly explain what happened.

“Okay. So I went back to grab a pudding cup, but I couldn’t reach because there was an unknown professor and Professor Baranovskaya were blocking them. I couldn’t go around because the tables were blocked by two different groups. I didn’t want to ask anyone to move because that’s really awkward since I don’t know who that professor was and honestly, Professor Baranovskaya kind of scares me. Anyway, I thought I got lucky because Professor Baranovskaya moved up a bit and I thought I could reach for a cup from there, but then I came up short and I tried to stretch a bit, but then I accidentally pushed the other professor out of the way. Then I panicked and ran back over there to you. Well, I apologized before running away, but anyway, that’s what happened and I don’t think I can ever face him again.”

Phichit stared at his friend and tried to absorb all of the information that was just dumped on him in that short amount of time. Yuri stared at Phichit in hopes of him having a solution to what he had just done. Their staring contest was broken at the sound of the lift signaling that they were on the ground floor again. As they began their walk home, Yuri’s distressed expression remained until Phichit finally responded to Yuri’s story in the form of a laugh. Yuri turned and gave his friend and unhappy look.

“Phichit! This isn’t funny! I just pushed a professor for a cup of pudding! Oh god. This is so embarrassing. I can’t believe I did that.”

“I’m sorry, Yuri,” said Phichit through his laughter. “I just, I know you’re really worked up about this, but you have to admit it’s kind of funny.”

At the sight of his friend laughing, Yuri thought about it and gave a sigh before responding.

“Yeah. I guess you’re right. It is pretty funny now that I think about it. It’s still really embarrassing though.”

“I know. I know. But I don’t think you need to worry about it. I’m sure whoever it was isn’t too bothered by it either. You said it was an accident and I’m sure they understood. So don’t worry about it, okay?” Phichit gave a bright smile to his friend who returned it.

“Yeah. You’re right. It was an accident. It was just accident. It’ll be okay.”

With that, the roommates began to discuss all of the work they would have to do before finals came. They might have been doing this for a while since they were both in their third year, but that didn’t make it any less stressful, but the conversation easily distracted Yuri from his previous embarrassment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! You finished it! Thank you!  
> I mentioned this earlier, but I'm trying to take advantage of the fact that I have time to write before uni starts up again. Unfortunately, classes start tomorrow for me, so yeah. I don't have a definitive update schedule and to be honest, I've never finished writing a multi-chapter fic before, but I really want to try and get this one completed at least. Especially since it's based off of various events in my life. Luckily, since it is based off of events in my life, this might actually be easier to write and will lead to less writer's block. Note that I said less though. But anyway, we'll see where this goes. Thank you again for reading. It's greatly appreciated.
> 
> Feel free to message me on tumblr if you have any comments or questions or just feel like telling me about a really good meal you ate today. Comments and critiques on here would be greatly appreciated as well.  
> dangcommaannie.tumblr.com


	2. An (Un)Fortunate Choice?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who was that man? What did he teach? How come I've never seen him before?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there! This was finished sooner than anticipated, so yay for that.  
> This one is a bit shorter than the first, so I thought about waiting to post it since I know ch. 3 is probably going to be longer. Maybe. But I decided I'd just post it now since I won't be starting ch. 3 until the weekend or so. It's only the second day of the semester and I'm already drowning in work. ~~Yay for being a double major!~~  
>  If possible, I'll try to work on it earlier because I know we're all looking forward to the next chapter since that's when we'll finally have the official meeting. I do have the following Monday off, so hopefully, it will be up by then. On va voir.
> 
> If there are any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me. I don't have a beta reader of any kind, so yeah. XP

A few days had passed since the pudding incident. Yuri had pushed the embarrassment of the situation to the back of his mind now, but he couldn’t seem to stop thinking about the professor. Yuri believed the reason the man was clouding his thoughts was because he was a complete unknown. The fact that Yuri thought the man was attractive probably added to why he was on the art student’s thoughts as well, but Yuri just brushed that aside.

Yuri had asked Phichit if he knew who the silver haired man was, but his only response was a shrug. He debated asking some of the his other art friends or maybe looking it up, but for some reason, he felt like that might be a bit too nosy. In the end, Yuri gave up on trying to find out who the new professor was and focused on his upcoming finals instead.

Soon enough, finals were done with and the two roommates were both greatly relieved. To celebrate, the pair decided to go out for a drink. The two of them were complaining about how difficult the Baroque Art final was when a familiar voice called out to Yuri.

“Oh! Yuko! I haven’t seen you in a while!”

The girl smiled at the sight of her childhood friend and his roommate. They hadn’t seen each other for some time due to conflicting schedules and the fact that Yuko had graduated in spring. Her final semester had been a difficult one, so they barely spent any time together before the chances of seeing each other dwindled down even lower since she now spent her time working hard to pay off her student loans.

“Yeah. Life got in the way, but I’m so glad I ran into you guys. How have you been?” asked Yuko as she sat herself next to Yuri in the booth.

“Well, we just finished up our finals for this semester, so we figured it would do us some good to take a break,” replied Phichit with a smile.

“Well that’s good to hear!”

Yuri smiled at his friend’s kindness and gave a little nod before speaking.

“Yeah. I’m glad this semester is done with it. It’s been a long one, but I’m excited about next semester though.”

“You’re just excited about that one Russian art class, aren’t you?” chuckled Phichit.

“It seemed interesting,” responded Yuri as he fiddled with his glasses.

“Wait. Russian art class? Is it the 17th and 18th century one?!” exclaimed Yuko. She had slammed her hands on the table causing the other two to jump. Yuri and Phichit both looked at the brunette with some slight concern as she stared at Yuri with wide eyes.

“Umm...yeah. That’s the class. Why?” asked Yuri cautiously.

A squeal from Yuko caused them to jump once more.

“You’re going to love it! Oh my goodness! It’s such a great class! Professor Nikiforov is just so.” Yuko ended her sentence with a longing sigh as she rested her chin in her hands. The hearts in her eyes were prominent to Yuri and Phichit.

“Who?” inquired Yuri.

“Professor Nikiforov! He’s probably the most perfect man on this planet!” exclaimed the brunette.

“Okay. I still don’t know who that is…”

“Wait a minute,” interrupted Phichit. “Is he a new professor?”

“Mmhm. Well, kind of. This semester would’ve been his second since I was a part of the first class of students that he taught here.”

“Does he happen to have silver hair?”

At Phichit’s question, Yuri’s eyes widened when he realized what Phichit was getting at. He turned to his best friend to give him a look that told him to stop.

“Yes! That’s him!”

With that, Phichit began to laugh uncontrollably, while Yuri hid his face in his hands. It was now Yuko’s turn to be confused.

“Huh? Did I miss something?”

“I, oh my god, I can’t! I can’t believe this happened! Oh god! Give me a moment!” struggled Phichit. Finally able to calm himself, Phichit began to explain what happened while Yuri placed his head on the table with a groan.

“Alright. So at the last department party, Yuri shoved a professor out of the way for some pudding and then sprinted off and he’s been freaking out about how embarrassing it was ever since! I just. Oh my god! I can’t believe you’re going to have to be with him for an entire semester!”

“Wait! What? Really?!”

Yuri gave another groan before nodding slightly.

“I think I’m going to have to drop that class now though,” mumbled Yuri.

“Eh?! Yuri, you can’t do that!” yelled Yuko.

“But what if he remembers?! I can’t handle that, Yuko! It’s so embarrassing!”

“Pft! I doubt he’ll remember that, Yuri. Besides, you said you were excited about this class, so don’t let it go to waste! Professor Nikiforov is honestly an amazing professor. You’re going to love his class!”

Yuri lifted his head off the table and sighed.

“I guess…”

“Come on, Yuri,” said Yuko as she placed an arm around her friend. “It’ll be fine! The class is great and that’s what matters! You’ve told me you didn’t care about who taught your classes anyway.”

“Yeah. Alright. That’s true,” said Yuri reluctantly. “So if I’m going to be doing this, what should I know about him? I want to know what to expect.”

Yuri was hoping to get information about the class and how Professor Nikiforov was since Yuri knew absolutely nothing about him. Although he got to know more about Professor Nikiforov, it wasn’t exactly what he had expected.

“Well,” started Yuko excitedly. “I know I said this, but Professor Nikiforov is honestly the most perfect human being on the planet. His hair looks likes it’s worth more than my life. His eyes are so lovely. It’s like looking out onto the bluest ocean.”

“Umm…”

“He always listens intently whenever students talk. All the girls try to answer his questions because every time you do, he responds with, “That’s beautiful. That’s beautiful.” And he means it so genuinely too! He’s not saying it to just be polite! He just really thinks it’s beautiful! Oh my god. I’m getting all flustered just thinking about it.”

“Yuko…”

“And his ass! And his accent! Oh my god! His accent! Everything he says is so magical because of his accent! God! He could talk to me for hours about how paint dries and I would listen to every word.”

Yuko sighed wistfully at the thought of her former professor. Yuri, although grateful that his friend was trying to help, had learned nothing he thought was really important. Not wanting to be rude though, he continued to listen patiently. Phichit had stopped paying attention a while ago and was currently tapping away at his phone.

Eventually, Yuko had to leave since she still had work the following morning. She gave both of her friends a hug before saying goodbye and insisting that they all had to find time to meet up during the holidays. Yuri was glad to see his childhood friend again, but her information on the unknown professor still bothered Yuri a bit.

Technically, he knew more about the man than he did before, but at the same time, he felt as if he knew absolutely nothing. He had a name and face, but the man was still an absolute mystery to him. The man was obviously a popular professor with the crowd that had surrounded him at the party and the way Yuko talked about him as if he were a gift from the gods. He might not have been teaching at the university for long, but a year without even seeing or hearing about this man? Yuri just thought it was all strange that he didn’t know this man existed until now and was even more concerned about what to expect on that first day of classes next semester.

With a shake of his head, Yuri took another sip of his drink before deciding to move his thoughts onto something else.

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see, he thought silently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again and thank you for reading! It really means a lot to me. :]
> 
> Feel free to message me on tumblr if you have any comments or questions or just feel like telling me about your favorite flower. Comments and critiques on here would be greatly appreciated as well. If you don't know what to say, you can just keyboard smash and I would still love and appreciate it.  
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	3. First Impressions Last

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eureka?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's the moment we've all been waiting for! The official meeting! Yay!  
> Not only that, but this story is doing a lot better than I thought it would, so thank you so very much to everyone who has commented, left kudos, subscribed, and bookmarked! Your support is greatly appreciated!  
> I did say I would try and get this done during the weekend, so yay for accomplishing that goal. I'm still drowning in work and it's still uncertain when I'll be able to update, but please be patient and I will do my best to update as soon as possible for you all.  
> Also, I've up-ed the rating just to be safe. This also let's me feel a bit better about swearing since I curse like a sailor most of the time. I try to limit it when I write, but there are just moments when you need to curse. XP
> 
> If there are any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me.

Winter break came and went and Yuri forgot all about his conversation with Yuko. He soon found himself back on campus and headed towards his last class of the morning, which meant he could get lunch afterwards. The start of a new semester was always exciting, but this semester, Yuri seemed to have hit the jackpot of classes and was able to get into all of the classes he had wanted to take. There was nothing in his schedule that he wasn’t looking forward to.

Yuri could feel the spring in his step as he walked through the art building. A content smile adorned his face since all of his classes until then had gone swimmingly. As he looked down at his phone to look up where his next was, Yuri felt an arm wrap around his waist and a voice whisper into his ear.

“I was wondering when I’d see again.”

“Uwah!”

Yuri jumped at the unexpected contact and flailed about as he tried to keep his phone from falling. Laughter filled his ears shortly He turned to find the source of it and gave a sigh of relief when he saw who it was.

“Chris! You nearly gave me a heart attack there.”

“Sorry, Yuri. You just looked so cute and focused there.”

Christophe chuckled as he removed his arm from his friend’s waist. Yuri rolled his eyes at the comment, but smiled at the sight of his friend. The classmates greeted each other cordially and began walking together, smiling and laughing as they discussed their first day back.

“So which class are you headed to now, Yuri?”

“Oh yeah! Ummm...17th and 18th century Russian art! I was looking up where that was before I ran into you.” Yuri was about to pull out his phone again, when Christophe cut him off.

“Really? I’m in that class too! Don’t worry. I know where we’re going.”

Soon enough, the two made it their classroom and found seats for themselves. Most of the students were already in the class and Yuri looked around to see if anyone else was familiar to him. He saw some faces he recognized, but weren’t overly familiar with. Yuri felt himself stiffen slightly at the sight of Yuri Plisetsky in the back corner. He was only a year below Yuri, but his art skills have proved that he would go far in the future and Yuri couldn’t help but feel intimidated.

The sound of someone entering the classroom caused everyone else to quiet down and look towards the front of the room. When he turned back around to face the new person, Yuri felt himself stiffen once more and his mouth dropped open slightly when he saw who it was.

Finally able to get a good look at the professor he had pushed out of the way, Yuri realized that he had vastly underestimated. He felt himself gasp as he stared at the man. He took in his blue eyes, which sparkled with warmth, and how his hair seemed fit for a shampoo commercial with the way it glimmered in the sunlight. He knew he was staring, but he couldn’t look away as he watched the man place his briefcase on the front desk and rifle through his things, oddly entranced by his movements. His hands quickly moved through the papers he had meticulously prepared for their first meeting. Once he had everything sorted out, the man turned to face the class with a bright smile. Yuri was fixated with how he bit his lip before speaking.

“Good morning! I’m Professor Nikiforov! I look forward to being with you all this semester.”

Yuri felt himself gasp once more when the man spoke and hoped that no one would notice that he was staring a bit too intently. From those first few words alone, Yuri knew he had lost. His voice was like the melody the rain played as it tapped against windowpanes. It was then topped with a lilting accent to distinguish it from any other. His voice mirroring that feeling of nostalgia and wonder. Yuri could feel a dull ache begin in his chest and he trembled slightly before it. The need to cry rising within him.

Dammit! No one told me he had an accent too! And to think this all started because I wanted some pudding!

Yuri continued to watch as his professor continued to speak and gesture, but it was clear that Yuri wasn’t really paying attention. As more time passed and the pounding in his ears grew louder, Yuri didn’t even notice when he had whispered one word that would best describe his current situation.

“Fuck.”

Lost in thought, Yuri failed to notice that the class had begun to move their desks to form a drunken circle of some sort. Doing his best to snap out of his dazed state, Yuri quickly turned his back on Professor Nikiforov to block the sight of him as he moved his desk as well.

It was easy to see why most of the girls and some of the guys swooned when it came to Professor Nikiforov and Yuri was no exception. Not only had he failed to expect this, he also failed to expect how quickly it took for him to fall for him. In short, Yuri was royally fucked.

Catching the tail end of the instructions, Yuri brought himself back to reality once more and introduced himself to the others around him as Professor Nikiforov introduced himself to each little group that had formed from the larger circle. Although he was laughing at something Christophe had said, his eyes were still drawn to the taller man moving around the room. Yuri’s heart rate picked up once again when he realized that he was headed toward their little group in the back. With more elegance than necessary, Yuri watched as he sat down in the next to him, smile even brighter than he before, and offered his hand out to Yuri.

“Hi! I’m Professor Viktor Nikiforov! It’s nice to meet you!”

Slowly reaching a hand out and forcing a polite smile onto his face, Yuri hoped that the man wouldn’t notice that he appeared too stressed and that his palms weren’t too sweaty. However, even if both were true, the embarrassment of what he stuttered next quickly distracted from that.

“H-hi. Um. I, uh. Hey. I, er. I’m. Yuri-ka! I’m Yuri Katsuki!”

Yuri eyes widened when he realized what he had said and was ready for the ground to swallow him up. Everyone around him began to laugh at the pun, including Professor Nikiforov. Yuri covered his face with his hands at this.

“Oh my god! I can’t believe I said that! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! Oh god!”

“It’s alright, Yuri. That was really cute. Thank you,” chuckled Professor Nikiforov. “Now, I won’t forget your name, Yuri.”

He gave Yuri another bright smile and Yuri felt his heart rate pick up again. Not trusting himself to speak anymore, he only nodded and chuckled slightly in response. Professor Nikiforov seemed to ponder something as he pursed his lips.

“Come to think of it, I think there’s another Yuri in this class too. That little joke of yours will definitely help me remember you!”

Yuri gave a shy smile at his comment and the taller man returned it with a happy grin. Professor Nikiforov then continued introducing himself to the rest of his group before moving to another one. When he left, Yuri looked over at Christophe, who Yuri had forgotten had been next to him. He only gave Yuri a smirk, which made Yuri groan in embarrassment.

“Please don’t, Chris.”

“I didn’t say anything, Yuri-ka.”

Yuri groaned once more and decided he should focus his attention back on his work instead. Given that it was the first day of classes, there wasn’t much, but Yuri did what he could to keep his attention off of his professor. The end of class couldn’t come sooner for Yuri. He tried to duck out as quickly as possible, but was stopped by a cheerful voice.

“I look forward to having you in class, Yuri-ka!” called Professor Nikiforov with a wave. Yuri froze at this, but gave a small wave and a sheepish grin in return before running off to meet with Phichit for lunch. Once he saw his friend at a table in one of the dining halls, Yuri immediately collapsed against his shoulder and groaned loudly.

“Umm...Hi Yuri. You okay there?”

“Phichit...I think I messed up again…” murmured Yuri as he shifted his head from his friend’s shoulder to rest on the table instead.

“Huh? Again? What happened?”

“I forgot that I had a class with Professor Nikiforov…”

“Oh yeah! I forgot about that too! How did that go? Was he as perfect as Yuko said he was?”

Yuri groaned again.

“No, it’s worse. He’s even more perfect than Yuko said he was. But then I fucked up...”

“Okay...Are you going to expand on that or am I going to have to guess?”

Finally lifting his head up, Yuri gave a sigh before telling Phichit about his stupid pun. When he finished recalling the tale, Yuri could clearly see Phichit trying to hide his laughter behind his hand.

“Just go ahead and laugh, Phichit. I already know.”

“I just. I’m sorry,” struggled Phichit through his laughter. “Oh my god. Yuri-ka. That’s just so bad!”

“Ugh! I know! I know! I still can’t believe I said that!”

Phichit continued to laugh as Yuri watched him. It was still embarrassing to think about, but what’s done is done.

“Sorry for laughing, Yuri. It’s just really funny. But hey! At least, he won’t forget your name now!”

“I guess…”

“Hey. Don’t worry about this so much, Yuri,” said Phichit as he patted Yuri’s shoulder. “This is just one incident. I doubt the rest of the semester will be like this. You’ll be fine, Yuri. I’m sure of it. Besides, you said he was pretty perfect, so even if it gets worse, you’ll at least have something nice to look at while you’re in his class.”

Phichit raised his eyebrows suggestively at this to which Yuri shook his head a smiled. As embarrassing as it was, his friend was right. Yuri still had an entire semester to look forward to and this one day wasn’t going to ruin it all. He reminded himself that he was there to learn and that’s exactly what he was going to do. So what if Professor Nikiforov was the most perfect man that Yuri had ever met and couldn’t stop looking at and made his heart skip a beat every time he looked at him and breath hitch every time he spoke? Yuri was at university to graduate and that’s what he was going to do.

It’s all going to be fine, he told himself. I’m going to get through this semester just fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so very much for reading! It really means a lot to me! :]
> 
> Feel free to message me on tumblr if you have any comments or questions or just feel like telling me about what your favorite dessert is. Comments and critiques on here would be greatly appreciated as well. If you don't know what to say, don't worry. You can just keyboard smash and I would still love and appreciate it. I do try to reply to all of your comments, so don't hesitate to leave one.  
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	4. Distracted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Focus, Yuri. Focus.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! I'm here with another chapter!  
> Not that eventful, but it's something. I think it's a bit on the shorter side too? I'm sorry I couldn't give you more.
> 
> But wait! I **CAN** give you more! In the form of my new series, [_Day by Day_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9401714)!  
>  It's, of course, about our favorite skating couple and it's just a series of drabbles, one-shots, ficlets, etc. about the happy little moments in their lives. So feel free to check it out.
> 
> As always, if there are any mistakes, let me know.

Yuri was not fine. Yuri was downright suffering to be quite honest.

It was only his second day of class with Professor Nikiforov and he was greatly regretting his decision. If Yuri thought that he had underestimated how perfect he was on the first day, he greatly underestimated how the man would become even more perfect as the semester progressed.

Yuri wanted to run out of the door he was sitting by when Professor Nikiforov had walked in and flashed him a smile. He bit his lower lip before greeting his student and Yuri could only respond with a stiff wave. Yuri tried to focus on something else, but was transfixed as he watched the professor place his usual belongings on the front desk again. He felt himself warm up when the man shed his suit jacket and began to slowly roll up the sleeves of his dress shirt.

Yuri was hoping that would be the end of his suffering, but it was only the beginning. As he called attendance, Professor Nikiforov asked them each a question to get to know everyone better and to help him remember names. Yuri was glad that he had decided not to call Yuri by the unfortunate pun that he had made last class, but his mind did momentarily short circuited when the professor smiled at him again and asked him what kind of music he liked to listen to.

“Um...Well, I, uh, I listen to a bit of everything, but, um, I used to play the piano. So I think most of what I listen to is probably classical, I guess.”

Professor Nikiforov’s eyes lit up as Yuri said this and gasped, his hands clutched over his heart.

“You can play the piano?” he exclaimed excitedly.

Genuine interest was reflected on Professor Nikiforov’s face and Yuri was surprised to see anyone so interested in him. His confusion was clearly written on his face.

“Uh. Y-yes?”

The professor sighed dreamily before speaking. Had they forgotten to turn on the air conditioning?

“Oh. That’s beautiful. Is there anything in particular that you like to play?”

“Um. Not really, but I can tell you that my favorite piece is probably Ravel’s _Pavane pour une infante défunte_ ,” nodded Yuri.

“That’s lovely. Thank you,” sighed Professor Nikiforov as he continued down the list of students.

The rest of the class went by uneventfully, but Yuri was thankful for that. After the music talk, Yuri’s heart rate couldn’t seem to get back to normal and he’s fairly certain he had to refill his water bottle at least twice after that. He wasn’t sure how much more his little heart could handle when it came to this man. But of course, life still felt like that wasn’t enough for Yuri.

Professor Nikiforov was saying good-bye to everyone as they left. Yuri thought the action was sweet, but as always when around this man, he didn’t trust himself to speak and wanted to avoid another flub. As he quickly tried to leave the classroom, Yuri was stopped by a familiar voice that caused him to nearly run into three people and the doorway. He turned around, expecting to hear the nickname that he had accidentally given himself.

“Yuri, I would love you to hear you play the piano sometime.”

Yuri choked at the unexpected comment. His heart rate was definitely not going down anytime soon. After being pushed slightly by another exiting student, Yuri was able to stutter a response together.

“I still have my piano. Well, I still have my keyboard, so I could possibly do that, if you’d like.”

“Really? Promise?”

Yuri could only nod in response before quickly waving good-bye to his professor. Running off to meet with Phichit again, Yuri was reminded of how he had run off after first meeting the professor and groaned at the memory.

* * *

 

The next week of class hadn’t been much better for Yuri.

Being an art history class, most of their time so far was spent with Professor Nikiforov lecturing at the front of the class. The man tried to break away from that when possible, but Yuri believed it was best for this class to be a lecture because it meant less opportunities for him to speak and embarrass himself again. However, that didn’t stop Professor Nikiforov from causing Yuri some form of suffering.

The taller man had a habit of wandering around as he spoke to the class and Yuri found that instead of remaining front and center, his preferred location seemed to be at the front and closer to the door. In other words, Professor Nikiforov’s preferred teaching location was in front of Yuri’s desk.

The day that Yuri had discovered this fact, he was busily taking notes on parsuna. When he looked up to try and see the picture of Ivan the Terrible on the slide show, he was instead met with a wonderful view of his professor’s ass.

Yuri had jumped at the sight before him. He tried to focus on the screen, but his eyes kept on flitting back to the view in front of him. From the corner of his eye, he could see Chris trying to cover up his laughter. He was saved from any potential embarrassment when Professor Nikiforov decided to move back to the center. Yuri still cursed the fact that he had to sit in the front due to his less than perfect vision.

However, that didn’t mean Yuri was safe from his charm while he was at the center either. Professor Nikiforov wanted to ensure that all of his students were paying attention, so his eyes would make contact with a different student with every few phrases that he spoke. Pair that with his lip biting habit and that left you with Yuri Katsuki, certified mess of a human being. The way his clear blue eyes focused so intently on Yuri made him squirm uncomfortably and he could never decide if he should continue to stare back or look away.

Professor Nikiforov’s good looks weren’t the only thing that distressed Yuri. The man was, in fact, a brilliant professor. Not that Yuri had doubted him, but if Yuri had thought about dropping the class before, there were now no longer any doubts that he would be in this class until the very end. The professor was incredibly passionate about what he taught and even more knowledgeable. His love for the subject only enticed you to learn even more. As an art student, it was obvious that art history was something that Yuri would have interest in, but he could feel that love growing the longer he was in Professor Nikiforov’s class. This class could’ve been like any other art history class, but somehow, Professor Nikiforov made it something so much more and it only made Yuri’s feelings grow stronger.

* * *

 

That passion for his given subject was the reason why Yuri soon found himself standing outside Professor Nikiforov’s office.

The lecture that Professor Nikiforov had given earlier had Yuri fascinated and he found himself wanting to learn even more about it. Luckily (Or unluckily. Yuri wasn’t quite sure yet.), Professor Nikiforov had office hours that fit into Yuri’s schedule, but now that he was here, Yuri felt himself grow more nervous about being around the professor. He thought about turning around, thinking that he could just research this on his own, but no, he told himself. He was here to learn and that’s what he’s going to do. Just take a deep breath, calm yourself, and just ask the question.

I’m just here to ask a question, thought Yuri. That’s it. I’m going to be fine.

With that, Yuri raised a hand to knock at the door in front of him and waited. A muffled voice told him to enter and he slowly opened the door. There he was met with the sight of Professor Nikiforov looking over papers at his desk.

“Oh! Yuri! Have a seat!”

“I just wanted to know more about Zolotaryov and the Novodevichy Convent!” blurted Yuri before he had realized it.

Professor Nikiforov seemed shocked by his outburst at first, but it quickly changed into a broad grin for he had mistaken Yuri’s nervousness for enthusiasm. Yuri, realizing that he was still standing, quickly sat down, his hands immediately grabbing the edge of his shirt in worry.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to yell. I was just curious because it seemed really interesting.”

Yuri awkwardly looked away, which only caused Professor Nikiforov to smile even more.

“Of course! Of course! I’m always happy to help!”

Yuri was able to look up at Professor Nikiforov and give him a nod.

As Professor Nikiforov spoke, Yuri took note of the fact that this was the first time they had really spoken outside of class. He soon found himself getting distracted by the sight of the man sitting in front of him. His suit jacket was hanging off his chair and his sleeves rolled up, a sight that Yuri had seen before but had yet to grow used to. Yuri felt his mouth go dry when he noticed that Professor Nikiforov’s tie was loosened and the top two buttons were open.

He moved his gaze up to try and refocus himself, but instead became entranced by the professor’s hair instead. It usually seemed to be perfect, but here, it looked as if he had fallen asleep at his desk because there were some parts that seemed to stick up at random. Yuri wondered what it would be like to run his fingers through his hair.

Bringing his gaze back down again caused Yuri more distress since he had forgotten about his professor’s lip biting habit. It seemed even more noticeable and distracting now that Yuri was at eye level with him now. He licked his lips unconsciously.

Somehow, Yuri was able to get back into the conversation and realized that Professor Nikiforov was coming to an end with his mini lesson. With a nod and a smile, Yuri thanked his professor for the help before leaving to meet up with his best friend. Phichit had his last class in the art building at the time that Yuri had gone to see Professor Nikiforov. Since Yuri had mentioned it earlier, the two decided to meet up and walk home together.

Phichit gave Yuri his signature smile before asking him how his meeting with Professor Nikiforov was. It was then that Yuri realized that he hadn’t heard a single damn thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading as usual! All of your support means the world to me!
> 
> Feel free to message me on tumblr if you have any comments or questions or just feel like telling me about whether your prefer your left or right foot. Comments and critiques on here would be greatly appreciated as well. If you don't know what to say, don't worry. You can just keyboard smash and I would still love and appreciate it. I do try to reply to all of your comments, so don't hesitate to leave one.  
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	5. Step by Step

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slow progress is still progress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't mean to update today, but here we are on a Tuesday.
> 
> But on the bright side, this chapter is about double the length of a normal chapter! What?!  
> I was going to divide this in half, but since they're kind of in the same time frame on the same sort of topic, I figured I'd keep them together for you all.
> 
> Also, if you haven't already checked it out, it would be nice if you guys could have a peek at my other series, _[Day by Day](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9401714/chapters/21284387%22)_.
> 
> As usual, I hope you enjoy and if there are any mistakes, let me know.

By the end of the first month of classes, Yuri had become Professor Nikiforov’s most frequent visitor. Yuri knew he wasn’t exactly the best person to talk to given that he was an absolute nervous wreck every time he visited and left just as quickly as he came, but Viktor thoroughly enjoyed the student’s presence during his office hours.

Yuri might not say much during class or his office hours, but Viktor could see that he was bright and passionate about what he was doing. He could see the way Yuri’s eyes twinkled like stars as he listened intently to whatever it was he was rambling about at that current moment. He wanted to learn more about the shy student and had tried to casually bring him up during conversations with some other professors, but not much information had been given there either.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had him in class before,” said Lilia.

“Likewise. The name doesn’t sound familiar. I might have seen it during the student art exhibit, but I’m not too sure,” added Yakov.

Viktor felt like he had hit a dead end with his search, but at that moment, Minako was passing through the lounge and happened to overhear.

“Who are we talking about?” she inquired as she made herself a cup of coffee.

“A student of mine,” responded Viktor. “He always comes by during office hours to learn more from me and ask questions, but I don’t really know much about him yet since he always leaves before I can talk about something besides art. He’s a good student and I was just wondering if anyone else could tell me about him.”

Minako took a sip of her coffee and winced when she realized that it was too hot.

“Really? What’s his name? I might be able to help.”

“Yuri. Yuri Katsuki.”

“Oh. Yuri!” exclaimed Minako with a happy expression. “Yeah. I know him.”

“You do?” asked Viktor while trying to hide his joy. Minako nodded enthusiastically.

“Absolutely. I’ve known him since his first year. I’ve been his painting instructor ever since.”

Viktor waited patiently as Minako searched her brain for memories and information on Yuri.

“Yeah. Yuri’s always been a great student. Quiet though. It took some time to get anything out of him, but once you get passed that, he’s really sweet. He’s got talent and he’s very hard working. He’s more passionate than he realizes. He’s good at what he does, but whether he actually believes it is another issue.”

“I see,” mused Viktor as Minako took another sip.

“I’ve been trying to get him to submit something to the student exhibit again, but he’s always doubting himself. He submitted something last semester too, but was discouraged when he saw what some of the others made though. He’s still a great student and he’s still a great artist. In my opinion, he could go really far one day, whether he knows it or not.”

With a nod, Minako left Viktor with this new information. Viktor wasn’t exactly certain of how this would all play out, but he thinks he knows where to start now.

* * *

  
The next time Yuri came to see Viktor, it started and went the way it usually did: Yuri came in, he’d ask a question, Viktor would ramble, and Yuri listened. However, before Yuri could run out of the office like usual, Viktor decided to do something different.

“Wait a minute! Yuri!” called Viktor. He watched as Yuri froze in place and his eyes grow wide. He hoped he wasn’t going to far.

“Yes, Professor?”

“I would like to keep talking to you.”

If it were possible, Yuri stood even more still when Viktor said this. Oh god. Maybe he _had_ gone too far.

“If it’s alright with you!” he added with a small smile in an attempt to calm the student.

To his surprise, Yuri slowly sat back down and gave him a small nod. Viktor internally sighed in relief.

“So!” he began with a smile. Yuri continued to stare at him wide eyed. “How are you doing today?”

“I’m f-fine,” stuttered Yuri. Viktor could see that Yuri was still confused about what was going on as his eyes darted around the room in search of answers.

“That’s good to hear.”

Yuri gave another nod.

“You said you were in your...third year?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s nice. It means you’ll be graduating next year, yes?”

“Hopefully.”

Viktor chuckled at this, which caused Yuri to give a small smile of his own. He was glad to see Yuri become slightly more relaxed, but he was still a bit uncertain about where to lead this conversation now.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine, Yuri. So...is there anything you do when you’re not busy being a student? Hobbies or something?”

Viktor watched as Yuri’s eyes shined again as he searched for an answer. He wonder what could possibly be going through his mind. Viktor was brought back to attention when Yuri began to speak.

“Um...Not really. I’m taking a lot of classes this semester, so I don’t really have much spare time.”

Alright, not exactly what Viktor had expected, but it was something.

“Well, you’re an art student, so I’m sure you spend at least some of your time making art.”

“Oh yeah,” exclaimed Yuri. “That’s right. I paint. I do that. I paint…”

Viktor watched as Yuri looked away awkwardly after forgetting something so obvious. He wanted to laugh at the reaction, but didn’t want it to be misinterpreted as him being rude, so he decided on another smile instead.

“You also play the piano from what I recall,” added Viktor.

“Yeah! I do that too sometimes. When I can. It’s hard with all of the schoolwork though,” nodded Yuri.

Viktor smiled once again. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Yuri stood up once more. Viktor was worried that he might have gone too far again.

“I’m sorry. I kind of have to go because I’m meeting up with my roommate and I don’t want him to worry, so yeah. I’m sorry.”

Viktor stood up as well before responding.

“Oh. Right! Sorry for keeping you. That was my fault. Sorry about that.”

“Oh no! It’s fine. It’s alright,” said Yuri was he shook his head. “I’ll just, uh, I’ll just be going now then. Um. I’ll see you, professor?”

“Yes, of course. I’ll see you later, Yuri.”

With that, Viktor watched as Yuri ran off like he usually did. As he stood there staring at where his student had been, Viktor thought about their exchange today. It might not have seemed like much, but Viktor was proud of the progress he had made with the shy student and smiled to himself before sitting back down to grade papers.

It was slow progress, but it was progress and that was more than Viktor could’ve ever asked for.

* * *

  
That weekend, Yuri found himself surrounded by several of his friends in his living room. Phichit had decided that it had been far too long since they last all saw each other and wanted a night to hang out and take a break from classes.

The conversations and laughter flowed easily amongst all of them as they all lounged around on the couch and floor. Eventually though, the discussion was brought back to the topic of classes since JJ was unable to join them due to him having a giant project to deal with already and Michele having to help out his sister, Sara, with her’s for the same class.

“Aren’t you also in that same class, Emil? Shouldn’t you be working on your project too?” asked Guang-Hong as the others nodded in agreement.

“Yeah…I’ll just start on that later…” answered Emil sheepishly.

“Pft! He’ll be fine. He’ll probably convince poor Michele to help him with his project later on,” remarked Chris, causing everyone to laugh. “But if we’re going to be talking about classes, I think we need to shift our conversation over to Yuri over there.”

“Wait. What? Why?” questioned Yuri when everyone turned to look at his confused expression.

“Yuri, don’t be naïve. You know exactly what I’m talking about.”

Chris gave Yuri a wink after saying this, which only added to Yuri’s confusion. However, Phichit suddenly understood what Chris was referencing and gasped.

“Do you mean Professor Nikiforov?”

Yuri immediately became bright red at the mention of his professor and promptly hid his face in his hands.

“Professor Nikiforov? He’s the new professor, isn’t he?” asked Leo.

“Yeah. The Russian one, right?” added Guang-Hong.

Chris nodded in response to their questions.

“Yup! And if the semester keeps going the way that it is, I’m pretty certain I’m going to eventually walk in on the two of them fucking on a desk or something.”

“Chris! Oh my god!” cried Yuri with a mortified expression as Phichit turned to face his roommate with his own shocked expression.

“What?! Yuri! How could you not tell your best friend about what was going on between the two of you?!”

“There isn’t anything to talk about, Phichit! Chris is just exaggerating! There’s nothing going on!”

“It doesn’t seem that way to me,” sang Chris.

As Yuri tried to think of something to say, Phichit continued to ask his best friend why he wasn’t informed of anything. Clearly not the only one confused, Guang-Hong decided to ask about what exactly was going on.

“I don’t exactly want to talk about it,” muttered Yuri as he looked away.

“But we do!” exclaimed Phichit. “So long story short, Yuri accidently pushed a professor, Professor Nikiforov, and ran off. Later on, he finds out that he signed up for his class and then just falls in love with the man and believes him to be the most perfect man in the universe.”

“I’m not in love with him, Phichit,” mumbled Yuri.

“I think you are,” Chris intervened.

“And where do you come into all of this, Chris?” asked Leo.

“I’m in that same class with Yuri and after a month of sitting next to you, Yuri, I’m pretty certain you are. If not, I’m pretty certain he is, at least.”

Phichit turned to Yuri with a wide grin as Chris said this.

“No. No, he’s not, Chris, and I’m not either. You are completely misreading all of this,” denied Yuri.

“Misreading? Alright then. Let me explain everything and we’ll see who’s misreading things,” declared Chris. The others all leaned shifted closer, intrigue and curiosity marked their faces.

“Where to begin? How about how he has that habit of standing in front of your desk while teaching and how I’ve caught you ogling his ass on multiple occasions? You probably don’t notice because you’re too busy staring at it, but he does peek back to see if you’re looking. Or how about how he chooses to call the other Yuri by a nickname, but not you, even though you gave yourself a nickname on the first day? Or how about whenever you speak, he looks at you as if you were all of the stars, whereas when I or anyone else speaks, he just looks at us with a typical professional stare? Actually, I take that back. Just how he looks at you in general. The only time I’ve ever seen anyone else look at you the way he does is when they’re interested in someone. Do you understand now, Yuri?”

After hearing Chris’ argument, the others nodded slightly to show their agreement. Yuri was trying to figure out if his friend was more observant than Yuri believed him to be or if Yuri had been that obvious with his actions. He gave a sigh before answering.

“That doesn’t mean anything, Chris. I’m sure he’s just a really nice professor. I mean, I’ve been going to his office hours all the time to ask questions, so I think he’s just invested in me being a good student.”

“Wait! All the time?! I thought you only went once to ask a quick question!” remarked Phichit. Yuri suddenly realized that he hadn’t told Phichit he had been going to visit Professor Nikiforov before meeting up with him. In his defense, he didn’t think they were all that important since they were for academic reasons. Yuri tried to explain that to his friend, but Phichit was not having it.

“Yuri, how could you not tell me? We’re best friends!”

“I know! I just didn’t think it was important since I just go to ask him for more information. It’s not like we really talk about anything that would interesting to you.”

Yuri went through the memories of his visits to Professor Nikiforov. All of them followed the same format of Yuri asking a question and Professor Nikiforov patiently explaining things to him, which was then ended with Yuri leaving in a hurry. However, Yuri made a perplexed expression as he thought about his most recent visit and Phichit knew that Yuri had something to tell him. Eventually, Yuri relented and told his friends about how the professor had stopped him before leaving and asked to continue talking to him.

“See? I told you he was interested,” said Chris.

“No, he’s not.”

“We can answer that question later, but what did he want to talk to you about?” asked Phichit.

“Not much. He just asked me what year I was in an-”

“I told you. He’s interested. He asked you what year you were in, so he’d know how long he’d have to wait before pursuing you.”

“Chris, stop. Let him talk.”

“It really was nothing, you guys. He just asked me what year I was in and what my hobbies were.”

“And what did you say?” asked Emil. Yuri finally noticed how invested everyone was in his affairs and was thoroughly confused by it.

“Um. I just answered normally? I mean, I just told him I was in my third year. I actually couldn’t think of any hobbies at that time, to be honest, but then Professor Nikiforov was like, “If you’re an art student, you make art, don’t you?” and that’s when I remembered that I painted. He also remembered that I played the piano, which was kind of odd too, but yeah.”

As he finished speaking, everyone around him nodded while he awaited their responses. Of course, Chris was the one to break the silence.

“Just fuck him already.”

“Chris! Seriously?! He’s our professor! We barely even know each other!” cried Yuri.

Chris just shrugged.

“Alright. Fine. Don’t fuck him then. Just kiss him already.”

“Chris!”

“What? The tension between the two of you is ridiculous. Especially when you’ve only been around each other for a month! You’re both interested in each other, so why not? I mean, yeah, he’s a professor, but you’re both adults.”

Yuri sighed and looked down at his hands.

“Yeah. I know, but still. There’s no way someone like him could be interested in me. I’m nothing special. There are plenty of other people he could be interested in.”

Placing a hand on Yuri’s shoulder, Chris’s joking demeanor changed to a serious one.

“First off, I’m not just saying this as your friend, but Yuri, if you honestly think you’re nothing special, you’re wrong.”

The others around him added in their agreement before Chris continued.

“All of us here can agree that you’re undoubtedly one of the best artists that we know and if you think that doesn’t make you special, you’re wrong.”

Yuri looked up and saw everyone’s reassuring expressions. Phichit gave Yuri a one-armed hug, which made him give a small smile before speaking.

“Thanks, you guys. It really means a lot to me.”

“It’s just the truth, Yuri,” remarked Leo. Guang-Hong and Emil nodded brightly next to him.

“Besides,” started Chris, “if he’s actually not interested in you, that just means I have a better chance now.”

“Chris, really?”

“What? I’m just saying that if you asked, Yuri, I wouldn’t say no,” answered Chris with a wink.

With that last comment, all of them laughed and decided to discuss other topics before retiring for the night. Yuri hadn’t thought about it before, but as he laid in bed, he couldn’t help but wonder whether Chris was right or not. Was Professor Nikiforov really interested in him?

I guess we’ll see, thought Yuri before eventually letting sleep take him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much! Your support, whether it be through reading, commenting, leaving kudos, or subscribing, really means a lot to and I appreciate all of you so much!
> 
> I think we all know my little end notes thing by now, so I'll just leave you with the link. Comments and criticism are greatly appreciated.  
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	6. What a Thing Friendship Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Google search: How to make friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was aiming to get this up over the weekend, but that didn't end up happening. To be honest, this chapter was difficult to write and it shows. It's definitely rough. It's not much either since it's more of a transitional chapter, but we'll get to more exciting things later. I hope. We're also back to our usual length now, so yeah.
> 
> But really, thank you for all of your support so far. Honestly, in the past, it would've taken be god knows how long to finish a chapter like, but because I know you are all here supporting me, I was able to get this done. So thank you so very much.
> 
> I want to say enjoy, but if you don't, it's okay. The next chapter should be more exciting.  
> As always, if there are any mistakes, don't hesitate to tell me.

Whether Yuri was conscious of it or not, his visits to Professor Nikiforov became more frequent. No longer were his visits for purely academic reasons since Yuri found himself wanting to get to know his professor more. The professor was delighted to see the student more often as well and was glad to see his student continue to open up.

By the third week of the second month of classes, the two had learned a lot about each other and were growing more used to each others presence. Yuri’s heart still sped up when around the professor, but his stuttering and awkwardness had gone down since their relationship grew. With time, Yuri convinced himself that his initial feelings were a simple crush and nothing more, especially when paired with the fact that he was certain Professor Nikiforov didn’t view him in the same way either.

Both thoroughly enjoyed the company of the other though and found comfort in knowing that conversation wasn’t needed. They often had work to focus on, so Professor Nikiforov’s office became soon became a nice place for Yuri to come and study as well.

For now, Yuri was glad to have another mentor to add alongside Professor Okukawa. Besides, Professor Nikiforov always had treats to share with Yuri since he regularly received them from students who were either hoping to get a better grade in class or into his pants.

* * *

Like usual, Yuri knocked at the door before hearing his professor’s muffled voice and entering. He dropped his bag on the ground and sat down at his usual seat in front of Professor Nikiforov’s desk with a sigh. The professor gave him a small smile without looking up from his work.

“Long day?” asked the taller man.

“More like a long week.”

They both chuckled at this. Professor Nikiforov lazily pushed over a plate of cookies.

“Want one? They’re chocolate.”

“Thanks,” said Yuri as he picked one up. “You know you’re going to gain so much weight if you continue eating all of these sweets, right?”

“Why do you think I keep sharing them with you?”

Yuri snorted as this.

“Anything you want to talk about today?”

“Not really. I just came by to hang out for a bit, if that’s alright.”

Professor Nikiforov nodded at this before waving his hand noncommittally.

“Of course it’s fine, Yuri. Besides, I’m always glad to have you here. It gives me an excuse to not grade anymore papers.”

He placed the pen he was holding on the desk before moving it and the stack of papers in front of him to the side. He took in a deep breath and stretched before speaking again.

“What about you? How are classes going?”

Professor Nikiforov laughed as Yuri made a face of displeasure.

“Let’s not talk about classes. There are too many things I have to do that I’d rather not think about right now.”

“I understand. You don’t have to tell me twice,” responded Professor Nikiforov as he glanced at the tall stack of papers to his right. “At least it’s Friday. Any plans for the weekend?”

Yuri shrugged before answering.

“Not really. I’ll probably end up sleeping in or something. What about you?”

“Not much. Probably going to be grading the papers that I’m currently not grading. I do have to take Makkachin to the vet though,” mused the professor.

“Oh yeah. How is Makkachin doing?”

Professor Nikiforov smiled, knowing that Yuri was genuinely interested in how his dog was doing. He recalled how one of the first things that they learned about each other was how the student had once had a poodle like his own.

“Makkachin is Makkachin. They are getting old though, so I’m worried, but they seem to be doing alright.”

Both of them nodded and sighed before falling into a comfortable silence. Yuri continued to munch away at a cookie while Professor Nikiforov stared off into space, thinking about who knows what. A few minutes had passed before they both looked at each other and nodded, indicating the end of their break. Professor Nikiforov began to look over papers again, while Yuri pulled out some work from his bag. They both worked in silence as time continued to pass.

Soon, it came time for Yuri to leave and meet up with Phichit. Out of the corner of his eye, Professor Nikiforov saw Yuri stretch before packing up his things.

“You leaving?”

Yuri only nodded in response.

“Alright then. Have a good day. Tell your roommate I said hi.”

“I will. I’ll see you later, Professor Nikiforov,” said Yuri as he got up. He took a step towards the door before Professor Nikiforov’s voice stopped him.

“Viktor.”

“What?” asked Yuri as he turned his head around to look at his professor.

“Call me Viktor,” stated Professor Nikiforov. “I think we’re close enough now that it would be alright. I would prefer it if you called me Viktor.”

He unconsciously bit his lip as he continued to watch Yuri’s expression.

“What? I can’t do that. You’re my professor,” said Yuri, shaking his head.

“But I also consider you my friend, Yuri. So yeah, in class and in public, you’d be calling me professor, but when it’s just us, Viktor is fine. When it’s just us, we’re friends.”

There was a pause. Yuri continued to take all of this in as Professor Nikiforov awaited his answer. Thinking that he might have gone too far, the professor broke the silence.

“I mean, if you want to. I know this is weird, but you’re here all the time and I feel like we’re friends. But if you don’t want to, it’s f-”

“It’s okay,” interrupted Yuri, “Viktor. I consider you my friend too.” He nodded and gave Viktor a small smile that was happily returned. “So, I’ll see you later, Viktor.”

“Yeah. See you later, Yuri.”

The smile was still plastered on Viktor’s face as he watched the student leave.

* * *

Outside of the building, Phichit was already waiting for Yuri.

“Sorry for making you wait!” said Yuri. “I hadn’t realized that it was already time.”

Phichit shook his hand and waved his hand dismissively.

“It’s fine. I got out a bit early anyway.”

The two began to walk towards the direction of their apartment and talked about their daily happenings. For the most part, it was just another typical day for the two of them.

“So how was your time with your professor? Is he doing alright?” asked Phichit. He raised an eyebrow suggestively, which caused Yuri to roll his eyes.

“It was the same as always, Phichit, and Viktor is doing fine too. He says hi, by the way.”

It took Yuri a moment to realize that Phichit was no longer walking beside him. Looking back, he saw Phichit standing and staring at him with his mouth agape and eyes wide. He quickly walked back to his friend.

“Phichit, what’s wrong? What happened?”

“What did you just say?” whispered Phichit after some time.

“Um. Viktor says hi?”

At that, Yuri gave a squeak in surprise as Phichit pulled him into a tight hug and spun him around.

“That’s what I thought you said! Oh my god! This happened so much sooner than I thought it would, but that’s okay! I’m so happy! I’m so happy for the both of you! Congratulations! Finally! I have to text Chris now!”

Phichit finally stopped spinning Yuri around. He was still trying to take in everything that his friend had just said when he asked what on earth Phichit meant by congratulations.

“Well, you two are together now, right?”

“What?!” exclaimed Yuri. “No! What?! Phichit! No! We are not together!”

“But you called him Viktor.”

“Because we’re friends, Phichit. Because we’re friends.”

Phichit’s expression dropped a bit, but he quickly replaced it with a grin.

“That’s okay. Friendship is still progress!”

Yuri rolled his eyes as Phichit pulled out his phone and began to rapidly type. They were both still walking and Yuri couldn’t help but be a bit jealous of Phichit’s ability to walk and text at the same time.

“Have you been texting Chris about me and Viktor this entire time?”

“Pft! Of course! Who else am I going to talk to about this? It’s not like you do.”

Yuri shook his head at this and the two continued home. He couldn’t seem to understand why it was such a big deal for him and Viktor to be friends now. Given Yuri’s interest in the class, he figured that they’d become closer at some point anyway, but he was still a bit lost when it came to his friends and their interest in their friendship. With a shrug, Yuri was brought back to attention when Phichit put his phone away and asked him about what they needed to buy at the store this weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truly, thank you so very much for your constant support. I couldn't have done it without you guys.
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)
> 
> **EDIT:** I seem to have forgotten that the relationship between students and teachers at American universities can be very different from others. So if you'd like to learn more about that, you can go read about it [here](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/post/156801871851/studentteacher-interactions-at-american) on my tumblr. :]


	7. Take a Break?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Why are we outside?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An update! It's here! I was thinking about making this longer, but I decided to keep what's to come for the next chapter.
> 
> Anyway, if you're not following me on tumblr, I'm beginning to get asks and stuff about the fics I write, so yay! There's not much now, but I've made a separate tag that you can go through and see all of the extra info or stuff I reveal about what I'm writing. There's one for this fic and there's one for my other fic as well, so feel free to check them out and send me questions about what I'm writing. I'm more than happy to answer them!  
> There's currently a convenient timeline up along with an explanation about the student/teacher relationships at American universities (Not romantic), since I realized that could use some explaining, so check it out if you'd like.  
>  ~~Also, there's a possibility that I reveal things about upcoming chapters since I seem to have no filter and just want to ramble about what's to come. XP~~  
> [A convenient link!](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/tagged/yes-professor-extras)

The weekend passed uneventfully and Yuri soon found himself back in Viktor’s office. They settled into their normal routine and were busy focusing on their work when Viktor’s mind wandered to an earlier conversation he had with Minako.

“Hey, Yuri?” asked Viktor suddenly.

“Hm?”

Viktor leaned back in his seat and looked at Yuri before continuing.

“Have you thought about the student exhibit for this semester?”

Yuri made a sound that would’ve best been described as an ugly zombie noise before looking away. Viktor had grown used to these odd noises, but it still made him laugh nonetheless.

“I’m assuming that’s a no?”

Yuri gave a sigh as he fiddled with his pen. He then tugged at the edge of his shirt. Viktor could see how uncomfortable the subject was for Yuri.

“Kind of,” Yuri said eventually. “I don’t know. I don’t really have anything worth submitting.”

“That’s not what I heard from Minako.”

Yuri looked up this time and was about to say something, but he was then reminded of the fact that Viktor and Professor Okukawa were, in fact, coworkers and would talk about their students. Instead, Yuri just stared at his professor and Viktor could see the insecurity that grasped his student.

“She’s just saying that because we’re close.”

“That’s not true, Yuri.”

Viktor paused and watched as Yuri continued to fidget.

“Minako said that because she thinks that you’re good enough to submit something. Plus, didn’t you submit something last semester too?”

Yuri nodded slightly.

“I did.”

“And it got accepted it, didn’t it?”

“Yeah,” whispered Yuri. “But I just got lucky. Everyone else’s pieces were great. Mine was just...there.”

Yuri looked down at his hands this time, not noticing how Viktor looked at him unhappily.

“Yuri,” began Viktor, “I might not have been here long, but I do know that not just anyone gets their piece into the student exhibit.”

“I guess.”

Yuri was well aware of the fact that only a select number of students were chosen for the student exhibit at the end of the semester. At the insistence of Professor Okukawa last semester, Yuri had submitted something and was ecstatic when he found out his piece had been chosen. However, once the opening night of the exhibit came and Yuri saw the other student’s work, his mood dropped instantly and blamed it on pure luck that his piece had made it.

Since Professor Okukawa had pushed him last semester, he expected Viktor to do the same. Instead, when Yuri looked up, Viktor gave him a small smile before speaking.

“Alright then. I understand, Yuri.”

“You do?”

Viktor nodded.

“I do. I won’t make you submit something, but at least consider it, okay? I might not have known you for long, but I do think you’re selling yourself short there, Yuri. You’re a hardworking student and I’m sure that translates into your art as well.”

Looking at Viktor’s face, Yuri was surprised to see how genuine he was. He could clearly see that Viktor meant every word that he was saying. This gave Yuri a small boost in his confidence, knowing that someone was on his side. He gave a nod and a small smile in return.

“Thank you, Viktor. I’ll think about it. I should probably find some inspiration first though.”

Viktor laughed at this and Yuri failed to notice how his heart picked up at the sound of his laughter.

“That would certainly be a good place to start. I’m sure you’ll find something. Just remember to do it before spring break.”

“Yeah. I know. Thanks again, Viktor.”

The two then turned back to their work in silence. Although he appeared to be focused on his reading, Yuri’s mind couldn’t help but wander to the exhibit. Maybe he should submit something. Maybe he could make something worthy of it. Maybe he could make something he could be proud of. But unknown to Yuri, Viktor was coming up with a plan of his own.

* * *

The next time Yuri came to visit Viktor, he was mildly confused to see the professor locking the door to his office and placing a quickly scribbled note on his door.

“Yuri! You’re here!”

“Yeah. I’m always here at this time,” said Yuri hesitantly. “Where are you going?”

Viktor turned to face him once he was done locking up. He gave him a bright smile before answering.

“Not me. Us!”

“Us?”

“You and I are going outside today,” nodded Viktor. Yuri was still very confused.

“Outside? Why?”

Viktor shrugged.

“No particular reason. It’s just a nice day out and I figured we could both use some fresh air. God knows how long we’ve both been locked up in this building anyway.”

Viktor began to walk away. Although he was still confused by the break in routine, Yuri followed after the taller man. He was hoping Viktor would explain some more as they were walking, but all he got was the sound of him humming a jaunty tune.

When they made it outside, Yuri watched as Viktor took a deep breath before his eyes searched for something. Eventually, he headed towards a place underneath one of the trees near the art building and sat down in the shade. Yuri stood around awkwardly until Viktor patted at the ground next to him. As Yuri sat down, Viktor laid down in the grass with his hands behind his head and his eyes closed. The two remained silent before Yuri spoke up.

“Viktor?”

“Hm?”

“What are we doing?”

“Taking a break.”

Yuri raised an eyebrow at this.

“Why?” asked Yuri tentatively.

“Because we need a break.”

Viktor didn’t have to open his eyes to know that Yuri was still greatly confused by this.

“Yuri, all we do during my office hours is work. If we keep going at this rate, we’ll both get grey hairs and-”

“But you already do,” interrupted Yuri with a smirk that only grew when he saw Viktor open an eye and give him disapproving look.

“You know what I mean,” said Viktor before closing his eyes again. “Just relax for a bit today, okay?”

Realizing that he wasn’t going to get anymore out of Viktor, Yuri gave a sigh before settling himself against the tree. It felt odd not being in Viktor’s familiar office, but he couldn’t deny the fact that it was very nice outside today.

Before he knew it, Yuri had fallen asleep. The mixture of comfortable silence and the cool air made Yuri realized that he had been working non-stop since the school year started. He was eventually woken up by someone shaking his shoulder. He gave a stretch and yawned before opening his eyes, expecting to see Viktor, but was surprised to see Phichit with an odd smile instead.

“Phichit? What are you doing here?” groaned Yuri as he rubbed at his neck.

“Me? I should be asking you that!” whispered Phichit excitedly. He eyes moved over to something next to Yuri. Turning his head, Yuri was met with the sight of Viktor asleep on his side. His hair looked the same way it did when Yuri had first met him in his office.

Yuri rolled his eyes before giving Phichit a look that told him to stop. He reached over and gently nudged Viktor’s shoulder. He rolled his eyes once more as Viktor remained asleep, but still reached out to swat at his hand. He pushed at Viktor’s shoulder once more before he woke up with a groan.

“What is it, Yuri?” said Viktor sleepily. He began to sit up slowly and stretch. His eyes were still cloudy with sleep. It was then that he finally noticed Phichit standing behind Yuri.

“Oh! Hello! I’m Professor Nikiforov! Who are you?” said Viktor, immediately going back into professional mode. Before Yuri could stop him, Phichit was already excitedly shaking Viktor’s hand.

“Hi! I’m Phichit! I’m Yuri’s best friend and roommate! It’s so nice to meet you!”

Yuri could do nothing but watch as the two of them talked amicably. Neither showed any sign of stopping. He was finally able to break up their conversation when he remembered what time it was.

“Viktor! Don’t you have a class to teach?!” exclaimed Yuri.

Viktor’s eyes grew wide and he looked down at his watch. He quickly got up, brushing the grass off of him hurriedly.

“Oh! Right! Sorry, Yuri! I’ll see later!” yelled Viktor as he ran off to his office to get his things prepared for his next class.

“Bye, Viktor,” sighed Yuri as he shook his head at the sight of his professor hurrying off. He then got up himself before picking up his bag and turning to his friend who was still standing there with a broad smile.

“So,” began Yuri, “what were you and Viktor doing outside?” He raised a suggestive eyebrow as he said this.

“Honestly, I have no idea,” said Yuri before beginning to walk. Phichit followed along beside him.

“Really? So you two just regularly fall asleep outside like this?”

“Well, no.”

“So was this a date then?!”

Yuri stopped and turned to Phichit when he said this.

“It was not a date, Phichit. Viktor just wanted to go outside for some reason.”

Phichit’s shoulders sagged slightly at this.

“Really? That’s it?” he asked as they began to walk again.

“Really. I showed up and Viktor decided that we should go outside today. He said something about us needing a break from work.”

Yuri looked over to see Phichit pondering something. He expected something more from his friend, but was surprised to see Phichit just nod and let the conversation be. He wanted to ask why his roommate had nothing to say, but figured he shouldn't push it. Although, he was pondering why exactly Viktor had decided to drag him outside today too, he said nothing more as they continued their walk home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for your support! So many of you have subscribed, commented, kudosed, and bookmarked and I'm completely shocked! I never expected to come this far and I'm so grateful to all of you! Thank you so very much!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	8. Colorblind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I know!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! It's done! Hurray! And it's a long chapter too!
> 
> So some opening notes first!  
> I would like to say that if you're ever worried about leaving a comment because you're worried I won't understand, it's okay. As someone who speaks multiple languages, I completely understand the struggle of trying to communicate in a language that is not your own. ~~In other news, why did I decide to try and learn 3 languages at once? I can't even communicate in English properly. How have I been able to even write so much so far?~~  
>  Also, I've posted another little one-shot/ficlet/whatever up, so it'd be nice if you could check it out. It's called [_ad astra per aspera_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9620966) and it's about our favorite couple doing some stargazing. I just really love this fic. It's probably one of my favorite things that I've written and it holds a very special place in my heart, so yeah. Feel free to check it out!
> 
> Oh! And remember that there are some extra tidbits that can always be found under [a special tag](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/tagged/yes-professor-extras) on my tumblr. Who knows? You might find some spoilers. ~~For example, if you were following along, you might have noticed that I totally posted spoilers for this chapter in the timeline since I needed it as a reference for this chapter. A+ planning, Annie. XP~~
> 
> I didn't plan this chapter on being this long, but here we are. It ended up being more emotional that I thought it would be too. Oops...  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy as always. :]

If Yuri thought that outdoor nap would be the end of Viktor’s odd actions, he was wrong.

The day after their first break together, Yuri approached Viktor’s office to see him locking it up like before. He raised an eyebrow at this, but Viktor only gave him a smile before walking away again causing Yuri to follow closely behind him. Aside from his humming, Viktor remained silent once again, so Yuri realized he would be the one to start the conversation as they walked down the stairs.

“So...what are we doing?”

Viktor only responded with a shrug, which made Yuri give him an exasperated look at his lack of response.

“Shouldn’t you be, I don’t know,  _ in _ your office during office hours? What if someone comes by?”

Viktor gave another shrug before answering.

“You’re the only one who visits me during this time anyway. If anyone does show up, I left a note, so it’s fine.”

Yuri realized that the conversation was ending and remained silent the rest of the way down to the ground floor. He figured they were probably heading back outside to the tree again, but was surprised when Viktor went in the opposite direction and continued on to elsewhere.

If Yuri wasn’t confused before, he definitely was now as he continued to follow the taller man. The professor only continued his humming as they walked and gave Yuri no clues as to where they were going. Yuri’s confusion only grew when they found themselves at the café on campus that served as most of the student population’s main source of energy. He hadn’t realized the two of them were inside until Viktor was asking him what he wanted.

“W-what?” stuttered Yuri with a confused expression.

“Do you want anything, Yuri?”

Viktor was already pulling his wallet out as he said this. He didn’t even seem to notice how lost Yuri was when he shook his head. He only gave Yuri a bright smile and told him to find them a table somewhere. Yuri nodded dumbly as he wandered over to a table by the window and seated himself. Looking around, he was glad to see that there were a good number of people, but the place wasn’t overly crowded since classes were still going.

Yuri was brought back to attention as Viktor sat down across from him and placed a blueberry scone and what appeared to be a cup of tea in front of him.

“I know you said you didn’t want anything, but I got you something anyway,” explained Viktor as took a sip from his own cup. He seemed to finally notice Yuri’s confusion.

“Umm…Viktor?”

“If you don’t want them, it’s okay. I mean, I did just buy them without asking,” said Viktor.

“No, it’s not that,” said Yuri as he shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. “It’s just, what are we doing here, Viktor?”

“Taking a break.”

Yuri sighed at the repeated words from yesterday.

“We just took a break yesterday.”

“I know.”

“Shouldn’t we be working?”

Viktor gave another noncommittal shrug.

“We’ll be fine.”

“Viktor.”

“Yuri.”

Viktor gave a smile at Yuri’s indignant look.

“You know what I mean, Viktor.”

“And you know what I mean, Yuri.”

Another sigh left Yuri. He turned his head to face the window and contemplate what was going on instead. The two might have grown closer since their first meeting, but the professor was still a mystery to Yuri.

“Hey. If you want to leave, it’s fine. You don’t have to stay, you know.”

Glancing over, Yuri could see Viktor giving him a gentle look.

“No, it’s okay. I want to stay. I’m just a bit confused about all of this.”

Viktor nodded at this before excitedly sitting up.

“Alright! Well, in that case, let’s play a game then, Yuri!”

“A game?”

Viktor nodded before moving his chair next to Yuri who was back to being confused. He rested his elbow on the table and his chin in his palm before speaking to Yuri.

“Okay. So sometimes, I like to go around and people watch and make up random backstories for them,” exclaimed Viktor enthusiastically.

“Um…”

“Here! I’ll go first! So that girl in the back corner over there? She might appear to be a simple student, but the truth is that when she was younger, she was rescued from a car crash by a random stranger. She later finds out that he was actually a famous actor, but didn’t want any recognition and is known for his haughty bad-guy image. She’s now working hard to become a successful designer in order to one day meet him and thank him for all that he did for her. However, she’s also colorblind, which makes things difficult for her.”

Viktor looked over at Yuri enthusiastically and proudly. Yuri’s confusion had not left him, but Viktor seemed to ignore it this time.

“Uhh…”

“Okay! You’re turn, Yuri!”

Yuri wasn’t exactly sure why this was all happening and what exactly he was supposed to be doing, but at the sight of his professor’s excited face, Yuri couldn’t say no. He gave a sigh before attempting to create a backstory for someone else. Before he knew it, Yuri found himself thoroughly enjoying his break with Viktor once more. Both of their cups were empty when they realized that it was time to get back to the real world. When they got back to the art building and Viktor bid Yuri goodbye, Yuri shook his head at Phichit’s broad grin.

“So where did you two go this time?”

“We just went to the café, Phichit. It’s no big deal.”

“Oh my god! A coffee date! Oh god! I need to text Chris!”

Phichit didn’t even to bother looking up from his phone as Yuri tried to explain things.

“It wasn’t a date, Phichit. He just wanted to take a break again.”

“Really? Again?”

“Yeah. I don’t really understand it either,” sighed Yuri. “It is nice to take a break though, so I don’t mind too much.”

Yuri perked up suddenly as he remembered what he was holding.

“Oh! I forgot! Do you want a blueberry scone? Viktor got one for me earlier, but I wasn’t really hungry and I’d feel bad if it went to waste.”

Phichit finally looked up at Yuri with his eyes wide. Yuri felt a bit awkward as he continued to hold the scone out to his friend.

“If you don’t want it, that’s-”

“He bought you a scone?!”

Phichit now looked as if he was about to cry before he pulled Yuri into a tight hug.

“Phichit?!”

“I’m just so happy about all of the progress that you two have made! I’m just so happy!” sobbed Phichit into Yuri’s shoulder. Yuri didn’t even bother trying to stop his best friend anymore. It was best to let him let this all out. Eventually, Phichit did let go of Yuri and gave a happy sigh as he looked at his friend.

“I’m just so happy for you two.”

“Phichit, we’re not together or anything. We’re just friends, remember?”

Phichit took Yuri’s face into his hands.

“Oh, Yuri. One day, you’ll be able to see what Chris and I see.”

Phichit then walked off before Yuri could do anything else. Instead, he simply rolled his eyes before following his roommate back home.

* * *

Viktor continued taking Yuri out for the rest of the week as well. Although he was still confused, Yuri had stopped questioning things as Viktor dragged him to the library to peruse the books and to the gym to watch the volleyball players practice. He figured that Viktor’s answer would be the same every time and to be honest, he did enjoy these breaks.

These outings continued into the next week as well, but by now, Yuri was getting a bit sick of not knowing what the actual purpose of these breaks were. Yes, he knew there was some truth to Viktor saying that they were taking a break, but Yuri also knew that there had to be something more to all of this and he was getting frustrated. Lost in what all of these outings could possibly mean, Yuri finally brought it up once more while they were out that Friday at an ice cream shop near campus.

“Viktor, what are we doing?”

Yuri looked over to see Viktor was confused as he held his spoon near his mouth. Yuri realized that he probably interrupted Viktor’s story about something, but he didn’t really care.

“Eating ice cream?” asked Viktor with uncertainty.

Yuri gave him a stern look and a sigh before speaking.

“You know what I mean, Viktor.”

Viktor took another bite of his ice cream before giving Yuri a bright smile.

“Taking a br-”

“God! Don’t give me that answer again, Viktor!”

Realizing that Yuri was unhappy, Viktor’s smile fell before his shoulders slumped. He placed his spoon in his cup as he watched Yuri continue to glare at him. He bit his lip, uncertain of what to say.

“Viktor,” began Yuri, “I know we’re friends and this has been nice and fun and everything, but I don’t understand. I don’t understand anything. Why have we been going to all of these places? What are we doing? What are you trying to do? I don’t understand what you want, Viktor! You keep telling me we’re taking breaks, but I know there’s more to it than that, so just tell me already!”

Glancing down at how Yuri’s hands clenched the napkins, Viktor was glad they had chosen a booth in the back. He looked away awkwardly as he tried to come up with the right words to say.

“Did it help you?”

“What?”

Maybe that wasn’t the best way to start.

“Did any of it help you?”

“Help me with what, Viktor? I’m even more lost than before now.”

“I-” began Viktor before sighing and biting his lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? For what?”

“For dragging you around and for pressuring you.”

“I’m still very lost, Viktor.”

Viktor looked up this time and took a deep breath before speaking.

“I know I said I wouldn’t pressure you into submitting something for the art exhibit, but when you mentioned that you might if you found something to inspire you, I thought that maybe I could help you find something…”

Viktor trailed off sheepishly as Yuri stared at him wide eyed. Never had he thought this would be the reason why Viktor kept on dragging him all over the place. Unable to read Yuri, Viktor played with his spoon, trying to find something to do.

“Look, I’m really sorry, Yuri. I didn’t mean to bother you like this. I’m sorry.”

“Why?” whispered Yuri finally.

“Because I didn’t even ask and I just-”

“No!” interrupted Yuri. Viktor felt worried when he noticed how Yuri seemed to be fighting back tears. “I mean, why did you do all of this? Why do you care?”

It was now Viktor’s turn to be confused.

“Why would I not care, Yuri?”

Viktor waited patiently for Yuri’s answer.

“Because I’m nothing special.”

Viktor frowned when Yuri said this. He reached across the table and tugged at Yuri’s hands to get them facing palms up on the table. Yuri was confused as to why Viktor was reaching for them, but he hadn’t even realized they had been clenched into fists until now.

“Yuri, look at your hands. What do you see?”

Yuri glanced at them reluctantly.

“I don’t know. Paint? Colors? Someone who clearly needs to be more careful with paint?”

Viktor chuckled slightly at this.

“Alright. Good start. You know what I see?”

Yuri shook his head.

“I see someone who deserves to know how good they really are.”

Yuri looked up at Viktor with a shocked expression that was met with a gentle smile. Viktor directed his attention back to Yuri’s hands as he gently ran his fingers over the various patches of red and blue and purple. Yuri laughed lightly at how it tickled causing Viktor to smile contently.

“These paint stains,” he began, “along with these callouses show me the years and hours that you’ve spent painting, that you’ve spent working and practicing, that you’ve spent trying to perfect the passion that you have, that you’ve spent pouring your heart and soul into every piece that you do.”

Yuri’s heart ached as he heard these words. He grasped at Viktor’s hands who had began to draw small, reassuring circles on his knuckles. The warmth of them bringing comfort to Yuri.

“You’ve worked so hard and for so long, but I don’t think you can see how great you are. I just wanted you to see what everyone else sees.”

Looking up at Viktor, Yuri could see nothing but the truth within his eyes and it made his heart ache even more. Never had Yuri seen someone look at him with such care, such reverence, such faith. He sat there speechless, but from Viktor’s smile, Yuri believed that he already knew what he was trying to say through his nod and how he squeezed at Viktor’s hands.

“Thank you,” Yuri said after some time.

“Of course, Yuri. I’m sorry again for causing you any trouble.”

“No,” said Yuri shaking his head slightly. “I’m sorry for causing you trouble. You went through all of this for me and I couldn’t find anything. I’m sorry.”

Viktor gave his hands another reassuring squeeze before pulling away.

“It’s alright, Yuri. You can’t force inspiration or art,” replied Viktor. “Even though, I did technically try to do that to you.”

They both laughed lightly at this.

“I know, Viktor. I know.”

The two went back to eating their now melted ice cream in silence. Yuri continued to stare at his hands as he ate and thought about what he had just learned. He looked up and gasped suddenly causing Viktor to look his way in concern.

“Yuri? You okay?”

“I know,” whispered Yuri.

“What?”

“I know!” exclaimed Yuri as he stood up causing Viktor to stand as well. His spoon still resting in his mouth as he did so.

“I know what to do now,” said Yuri as he grabbed Viktor’s hands again. “I know what to do for my piece.”

Viktor’s eyes widened and his mouth turned into an open grin, which caused the spoon he had forgotten about to fall onto the table. He squeezed at Yuri’s hands as a way of asking for confirmation. Yuri nodded excitedly in response and gave him a broad grin in return. Letting go of each other’s hands, Yuri moved to get out of the booth and put on his bag.

“I have to go. I need to get started and finish this since the deadline is next week and I have so much to do and what if I don’t have time? But I really want to do this. I think I really have something here and it could be really good. But I’m still not sure. But at least it’s something and I just-”

Yuri’s ramblings were cut off as Viktor pulled him into a tight hug. He was shocked by the unexpected action, but returned it quickly, pouring as much of his gratitude and appreciation as he possibly could into it before they broke apart. Both of them gave each other warm smiles.

“Thank you, Viktor.”

“Of course, Yuri. You’re my friend.”

Viktor tilted his head towards the door and gave Yuri a slight smirk.

“You should probably get going. Not much time and you should get started, right?”

“Right! Yes! Thank you! Bye!” yelled Yuri as he ran out of the ice cream shop. “I’ll pay you back for all of this!”

The bell on the door chimed as Viktor waved at Yuri. As he sat down, he smiled to himself before saying silently.

“Just make yourself proud, Yuri. That’s all that I ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so very much! It's honestly astounding to me to see how many of you have read and supported this fic and it's only about a month old! I say this every time, but I really do appreciate all of you and I'm so thankful for everything. Thank you again.
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	9. Sleepwalking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I got miles and miles to go before I sleep  
> Before I can feel anything, before I'm free

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's update time! Yay!  
> Sadly, I feel like this chapter was kind of uneventful. I mean, something does happen, but it could've been more.
> 
> Quick little note! I wrote a thing for Valentine's Day and yeah, I know it's passed, but hey, why not enjoy some more of our favorite couple? So feel free to check out my little one-shot/ficlet/whatever, [_If we can hold each other tightly_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9724925)!
> 
> Oh! Also, shout out to Grrrosa562 because they asked me a simple question in the last chapter and I gave them [an essay](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/post/157164816661/classroom-dynamic-shift-and-romantic-attraction). I'm sorry for giving such a long response. XP
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

After his conversation with Viktor, Phichit was mildly confused to see his roommate rush into their flat, grab some supplies, and then rush back out again, but it only took a few seconds for Phichit to understand his best friend’s enthusiasm. With his newfound inspiration, Yuri was excited to start on his piece for the student art exhibit. However, although a week might have seemed like enough time to finish, Yuri was still stuck. He might have found his inspiration, but he was now faced with the struggle of figuring out how to execute this properly. God only knows how many canvases Yuri filled the art studio with during this week as he ran through idea after idea.

Phichit was aware of the fact that the deadline was soon and that after finishing, Yuri would be able to rest during spring break, but that didn’t keep him from worrying over the well-being of his best friend. Yuri’s presence around their flat was sparse during the week. He was around to sleep and shower and maybe grab something to eat, but Phichit knew that all of his time outside of class was now spent in the art studio. Even though Yuri did come home to sleep, from the bags under his eyes and the fact that Phichit often fell asleep before he came home, he was able to assume that Yuri was definitely not getting enough sleep.

If Phichit noticed, Viktor definitely noticed as well, especially since Yuri had stopped visiting him during his office hours. When Yuri stopped Viktor after class that Monday to tell him that he wouldn’t be able to come by because of the art exhibit, Viktor was saddened, but largely happy to know that Yuri was going through with this and was excited to see what he would create. But as the week went on, Viktor could clearly see the effects of fatigue and exhaustion on Yuri’s face and to say he was concerned was an understatement.

Viktor has always been attentive when it came Yuri, but despite their friendship and because of their positions, Viktor was uncertain about whether or not he should intervene. It pained him to see how tired his student was. He had caught Yuri dozing off once or twice already and his eyes seemed to be eternally glazed over. He wanted to send Yuri home and let him sleep, but he knew it would be unprofessional and also, with how well he knew Yuri, he knew he would’ve spent that time off to continue working. He kept a close eye on Yuri’s well-being as well as he could, but he decided to let him be. Viktor knew this was what Yuri needed to do.

Yuri was alright, for the most part. Physically, he was running on about three hours of sleep each night and a diet of coffee and apples, so there was that. However, despite the obvious exhaustion, Yuri didn’t seem to feel any of it. He had never felt so motivated and focused on something before. He still felt like he was hitting walls with every canvas, but he knew every rejected piece meant that he was one step closer to finishing.

* * *

Eventually, Friday came, or more precisely, early Friday morning. Yuri was finally able to sigh in relief when he finished in the early hours of the morning. Looking down at his watch, he realized he’d be able to head home for a few hours of sleep before returning to school for classes and to turn in his submission. It was a bit too close to the deadline for his liking, but he was done. Yuri finally finished his piece for the student art exhibit.

Pulling himself out of bed, the full weight of exhaustion finally taking over him. He stumbled drunkenly around the room to get ready. When Yuri found Phichit in the kitchen, his friend immediately gave him a look of concern and came towards him to ensure that he was alright.

“Yuri, you don’t look so good.”

“I’m alright, Phichit. Don’t worry,” said Yuri, not noticing how he had yawned in the middle of it.

“You literally look like you’re about to pass out, Yuri.”

Yuri waved his hand dismissively.

“I’ll be fine! I just need to get through today and then I’ll be able to sleep.”

Phichit gave him a worried look, but made no move to stop him. He knew how stubborn Yuri could be and knew it would a waste of time. Besides, Yuri was already out the door anyway.

Yuri managed to wander to campus and turn in his forms and piece to the head of the art department. All that’s left to do now is wait since the art exhibit wasn’t until next month. The stress he felt over finishing his piece was now replaced with the anxiety of getting accepted, but that was a worry for another day since sleep seemed to be the only thing that Yuri wanted right now.

Yuri seemed to be making it through the day so far. Since it was the day before the break, most professors either canceled class, didn’t bother with attendance, or had minimal work for them to do. But by the time Yuri got to Viktor’s class, he was about ready to collapse and Viktor noticed, especially since Yuri had run into, not only the door, but three desks before reaching his own. How he managed to do that Viktor couldn’t seem to figure out since the desks were currently placed in a circle and Yuri just had to walk in a straight line across the room.

“Hi Yuri! How are you today?” asked Viktor. His tone was cheerful, but there was an underlying concern.

Yuri tried to speak, but ended up simply nodding before giving Viktor a shaky thumbs-up. Viktor sighed before deciding to say, “Fuck it!” to what anyone might say.

“Yuri, I think you should go home.”

Looking up from where he had rested his head in hands, Yuri was faced with the sight of Viktor standing before him with his arms crossed, concern wrinkled his forehead. Yuri waved his hand.

“I’m fine. This is my last class anyway. I’ll get through this,” mumbled Yuri.

Viktor seemed unconvinced by this. At this time, Chris came in and dropped his bag next to his usual place by Yuri.

“Hey! How’s everyone doing?” said Chris with a bright smile. Viktor suddenly found a way to get Yuri to go home.

“Chris! You and Yuri are good friends, yes?”

“Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“Could you possibly get Yuri back home for me?”

Yuri sat up at this comment while Chris raised an eyebrow.

“Professor Nikiforov, I’m fine!” protested Yuri. “I’m going to be okay.”

Viktor ignored him and continued speaking to Chris.

“Yeah. As you can see, Yuri is clearly exhausted and if it’s not too much trouble, could you make sure he gets back safely? I’m happy to see him in class, but what kind of professor would I be if I weren’t concerned for my student’s health? We’re not doing much anyway, so you two won’t miss much and I’d be more than happy to count you both as present.”

“Oh yeah. I can do that for you. Come on, Yuri.”

Chris got up and picked up his bag. Yuri looked back and forth between the two of them rapidly.

“I told you! I’m fine! I can get through this class!”

“Of course, you can,” said Chris as he dragged Yuri out of the classroom. “We’ll see you after the break, Professor!”

Viktor gave a small wave as they left and continued sorting through papers in his briefcase. He calmed down considerably knowing that Yuri was headed home now.

* * *

Despite his protests, Yuri was thankful about being sent home. The walk back was a complete blur to him and he hadn’t even realized he had gotten home until he heard the sounds of Phichit moving around in the kitchen as he laid in bed.

Grabbing his phone off of the bedside table, Yuri finally realized how long he had been asleep for and the extent of his fatigue. Remembering how Viktor had sent him home with Chris, Yuri sent a quick thank you text to Chris and was about to send a thank you to Viktor as well, until he realized that his only way to contact Viktor was through email. He wasn’t sure when Viktor would see it, but he sent it anyway to show Viktor his gratitude.

Wandering into the kitchen to find Phichit, Yuri was met with a plate of food and thanked his best friend for it. Phichit was just happy to see Yuri get more than three hours of sleep. After cleaning everything up, Yuri went back to his room to check his phone and was surprised to see, not only a text from Chris, but an email from Viktor as well. He opened it quickly and scanned over the short response, but he froze when saw a line of various digits with a short phrase above them.

_ You know you can just text me, right? _

Yuri’s eyes widened at this. He considered Viktor a friend of his and that Viktor felt the same way, but the fact that Viktor gave him his number to freely text still left Yuri shocked. He thought about bringing this up to Phichit, but knew his friend would have a field day with this new info and decided against it. He loved his best friend dearly, but that was something he didn’t want to deal with right now. Lost in thought, Yuri hadn’t realized that he was already entering Viktor’s number into his contacts list. He was now faced with the decision of whether or not he should actually text him.

He took a deep breath before deciding to send a text. He was just going to send a thank you text. There wasn’t anything wrong with that. That’s what friends do when friends help them out.

* * *

**Yuri:** Hey. It’s me, Yuri. Thanks again for earlier. Sorry if I caused any trouble.

**Viktor:** It’s no problem, Yuri! I’m just glad to know that you finally got some sleep! ;P

**Yuri:** Yeah. Yeah. You don’t have to remind me. I just hope it was all worth it.

**Viktor:** I’m sure it will be.

* * *

Laying back in bed, Yuri reread the text before sighing and closing his eyes.

I hope so too, Viktor. I hope so too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your endless support as always. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	10. hmu?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's go out!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've reached double digits! Hurray~! :D  
> Sadly, this is a bit of a short chapter. Sorry. But I will make it up to you next week because I start spring break next Saturday and I'll be able to write way more!  
> I also experimented some more with the format, so yeah. Tell me how that goes.  
> For now, please accept this simple offering and send me your best wishes because even though it's only a week until spring break, I have so much to do. Dear lord. I might end up like Yuri again. XP
> 
> So enjoy this update!  
> I enjoyed this chapter because Makkachin is it and I relate to Makkachin because I, too, would probably get hospitalized for eating something that I shouldn't have.

Yuri woke up at around noon the following day after a long and restful sleep. He languidly stretched in bed and took in the silence since he knew that Phichit had decided to head home for the break and must have set out his morning. Rolling over, Yuri reached for his phone and read a text from his roommate reminding him of where he was and that he hoped he had a nice spring break. He continued to scroll through the various messages on his phone. He saw a few from Chris and ones from JJ, Leo, and Michele, and responded to them accordingly. Yuri gave a small gasp though when he realized that Viktor had sent him a text this morning. 

**Viktor:** Good morning!

**Viktor:** Or maybe good afternoon instead!

**Viktor:** I hope you actually got some more sleep. It’s not good for your health, you know?

**Viktor:** Good thing it’s spring break, so you can sleep for a week if you wanted to! :D

**Viktor:** Anyway, I hope your break goes well and that you start feeling better. Enjoy this picture of Makkachin! :)

Yuri smiled at Viktor’s concern for him. He laughed at the how adorable Makkachin was with their head tilted to one side in confusion before sending back his response.

**Yuri:** Good afternoon to you too. I did actually get some sleep, so no need to worry. XP

**Yuri:** I hope you have a good break as well and thank you for sending me a picture of Makkachin.

Yuri got out of bed to get some food and carry on with his week of lazing about and attempting to catch up on all of the shows he had fallen behind on. However, his week soon began to be filled with texts from a certain professor instead.

* * *

 

**Viktor:** So bored!

**Viktor:** [picture of him with his head on his desk with various papers surrounding him]

**Yuri:** You’re working?

**Viktor:** I don’t have to, but I wanted to get this done.

**Yuri:** I see. Good luck with that.

* * *

 

**Yuri:** How’s the work going?

**Viktor:** [picture of him watching TV with Makkachin]

**Viktor:** I gave up.

**Yuri:** Good job.

**Viktor:** Your sarcasm was not needed.

**Yuri:** :P

* * *

 

**Viktor:** Yuri! I had a crazy dream last night!

**Yuri:** Yeah? What happened?

**Viktor:** I dreamt that my kitchen was filled with orange soda!

**Viktor:** It was insane!

**Viktor:** But then I realized it was all just a Fanta-sea! ;D

**Yuri:** lol

**Viktor:** Did you actually laugh or no?

**Viktor:** Yuri?

**Viktor:** Yuri, answer me.

**Viktor:** I thought it was funny!

* * *

 

**Viktor:** Btw, how’s Phichit doing?

**Yuri:** He’s fine. He actually went home for the break.

**Viktor:** Cool. You didn’t?

**Yuri:** No, I’m lazy.

**Viktor** : lol!

**Viktor:** I would tell you not to be lazy, but I haven’t left my bed today.

**Yuri:** It’s 3 in the afternoon??

**Viktor:** I know…

**Viktor:** Makkachin isn’t happy with me.

* * *

 

**Viktor:** [picture of a mysterious black mass in a pan]

**Viktor:** Why is cooking so hard?? DX

**Yuri:** What did you try to make?

**Viktor:** Just pasta

**Yuri:** Okay. How did you manage to fuck up that badly?

**Viktor:** …

**Viktor:** I may have gotten distracted by something.

**Yuri:** Like what?

**Viktor:** [video of a puppy chasing bubbles]

**Yuri:** -_-

**Viktor:** But it’s so cute! Look at him go!

* * *

 

**Viktor:** Are you free today?

**Yuri:** Yeah. Why?

**Viktor:** Let’s go out! :D

* * *

 

Yuri nearly dropped his phone on his face after reading Viktor’s text. Quickly unlocking it, he reread the message again and again to make sure that he wasn’t just seeing things. He thought about possibly turning him down since this would be the first time they’ll be together outside of school and Yuri wasn’t sure how to handle himself. But after some more thinking, Yuri realized that he needed to get out of the house and since he did just tell Viktor he was free, there wasn’t really a good reason as to why he should say no.

Yuri sent a text back and awaited Viktor’s response to him as he got out of bed to get ready for the morning. In a few seconds, he was notified of a text, which gave him instructions to meet Viktor at a park nearby in a half hour or so. It was close enough that Yuri decided to walk instead of driving over.

When he got there, he waited near the entrance like Viktor had told him too. With no one else around, Yuri realized that he had arrived first and looked down at his phone to waste some time until Viktor showed up. Distracted, Yuri failed to notice the beige mass that was quickly approaching him before it managed to tackle him in the side.

“Makkachin! No!”

Recognizing the dog’s name, Yuri realized that Viktor had arrived. He laughed as Makkachin continued jumping on him and reached down to pet the dog’s head as Viktor tried to get them to calm down. Once Makkachin sat calmly next to their owner, Viktor scratched the back of his head awkwardly and gave Yuri an apologetic look.

“Sorry about that. Makkachin doesn’t usually have a leash since they’re usually well-behaved, but I guess Makkachin is just really happy today.”

Yuri laughed once again before continuing to pet Makkachin. He smiled as the dog gave him a content look that reminded him of his own dog, Vicchan.

“It’s okay. I’m happy to meet Makkachin too.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Yuri caught Viktor giving a sigh of relief, glad to know that Yuri wasn’t angry about the surprise greeting.

“So what are we doing?” asked Yuri as he straightened back up again.

“Taking Makkachin for a walk. Maybe we’ll stop by a café or something afterwards,” said Viktor with a shrug. “I don’t know. To be honest, I didn’t plan very far. I just figured we could use some time out of the house.”

Yuri gave Viktor a smile and nodded to which Viktor returned with a smile of his own. As the two stared at each other, Makkachin began to grow impatient and had wandered ahead of them, into the park. Realizing that neither of them were following, Makkachin turned and gave a bark, which broke their gazes. Their tail wagged happily now that Viktor and Yuri were now walking.

Their time in the park was a pleasant affair. The weather was nice as they took in the flowers in bloom. The two laughed at the conversation that flowed easily between the two of them as Makkachin chased butterflies around.

Yuri had been worried about how awkward it would be with Viktor outside of uni. Those thoughts were erased as they strolled around the park. As they spoke of random oddities, Yuri realized how much he enjoyed Viktor’s presence in his life. Technically, it had only been a couple of days since they last saw each other, but since Yuri had spent a week working non-stop, they hadn’t had an opportunity to speak and hang out like they had before then. The ease of their relationship brought him a new kind of peace.

Rather than go somewhere else, Viktor and Yuri ended up on a park bench together as they watched Makkachin continue to run around. Eventually, the dog came over to sit beside them, but neither of them seemed to have noticed for they were too engrossed in their conversation.

The time soon came for them to part since Viktor still had the work he said he would do a few days ago. Yuri tried to object at first, but Viktor eventually convinced him to let him drive him back home. He gave an excuse about wanting to make sure Yuri got home alright, but in the back of his mind, Viktor knew he just wanted an excuse to talk to Yuri some more.

After dropping Yuri off, Viktor became lost in his thoughts once more and failed to notice when Makkachin had decided to climb into the front seat. The dog gave their owner a confused look at the sight of his serious expression. Once inside his own place, Viktor promptly pulled Makkachin to him and buried his face into his dog. He gave a groan as he continued to hug his companion to him.

“Makkachin, what do I do?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always! I know it takes some time for me to update, so thank you, really, for your support and patience!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com)


	11. A Toast to the...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raise a glass to?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive! I'm here and I am alive, everyone!  
> Thank you for your patience. In writing about how Yuri went through a long and sleepless week before spring break, it seems that I ended up predicting my own long and sleepless week before spring break. But I made it! It's done with! I'm on break now! It actually started on Saturday, but I decided to use that day to sleep and rest up, hence the reason why this chapter is being posted on Sunday instead.  
> But that's okay! Now that I'm on break, I've got a week to do some writing for you all! I'm aiming to get one or two chapters posted this week, but I will be writing ahead and stocking-piling chapters. If you happen to be reading _Day by Day_ , I will definitely try and get some updates out for that too.
> 
> Thank you for your patience once again because this chapter is eventful, but also slightly uneventful? It's needed though because the next chapter is something that we've all been waiting for. That's right: the art exhibit. So look forward to that because I'm so excited about finally being able to write that chapter!
> 
> For now, enjoy!

The rest of spring break went by uneventfully for Viktor and Yuri. They continued to exchange texts that would often extend late into the night, but the offer to meet up again never occurred. For Yuri, his reason for not asking came from his uncertainty. Yuri considered Viktor to be his friend, but was still hesitant given their student/teacher relationship as well. He was close to Professor Okukawa, but he saw her as more of a mentor or parent or aunt of some sort and that wasn’t how he felt about Viktor. Yuri wasn’t going to deny the fact that he did find Viktor attractive, but were his feelings simply physical? No, he didn’t think so. He knew he cared for Viktor and that Viktor cared for him as well, but were these feelings romantic? Yuri wasn’t sure of that, but he was fairly certain that even if there were romantic feelings, it would be largely one-sided. Viktor would never be interested in Yuri in the same way that he was, so it was best to keep their relationship a friendship. Yuri was probably mistaking all of Viktor’s kindness anyway, but that didn’t keep him from being just a tiny bit hopeful that maybe something will happen.

For Viktor, his reason for not asking came from his conflicting emotions. As their relationship progressed, Viktor found himself growing more attracted to Yuri. He tried to deny it at first, but after their time spent together during spring break, Viktor knew there was no point in fighting it. He felt something for Yuri that he hadn’t truly felt before and it terrified him. What he thought had just been him caring for a friend had grown into something more and he was scared. For one thing, a student/teacher relationship would be highly unprofessional. They would have to be kept a secret until Yuri graduated, but even then, another problem arises. With the difference in position and power between the two, it could be seen as Viktor taking advantage of Yuri and he didn’t want that, he would never do that. From the beginning of their relationship, Viktor did his best to never push Yuri too far. Yuri had come to him and seeing the shy student, Viktor knew that he would have to meet Yuri where he felt most comfortable. Viktor might be dealing with his own emotions about Yuri, but he would never force them onto him. Yuri is, first and foremost, his friend and he wouldn’t want to ruin that by pushing Yuri into something he didn’t want. Viktor also felt that his relationship with Yuri was like that of his and Minako’s. He knew they were close, having known each other for some years now, and that Yuri regarded Minako as a parent of some kind. Maybe his relationship with Yuri is just that. Maybe that’s what Yuri considered him. Viktor retained a bit of hope as well, but like Yuri, they both pushed their feelings aside, believing them to be foolish and impossible.

* * *

Returning back to classes, Viktor and Yuri were happy to see each other on regular basis again. Neither had fully realized how much they enjoyed the other’s presence until now. Both of them had taken for granted the consistency of being around each other and had quickly fallen back into their office hours routine. The power of technology and texting certainly made it easier for them to communicate, but it was nothing like actually being around each other.

Yuri was currently lounging in one of the chairs in Viktor’s office as the professor read a book, deciding to ignore his grading duties for the day. He felt his eyes grow heavy and thought about taking a quick nap before the sound of his phone brought him back to attention. Viktor snorted as he watched Yuri try to get his phone from his back pocket without fully getting up. Yuri shot him a look in response before checking his notifications.

Going back to his book, Viktor failed to see Yuri’s eyes go wide as he scrolled through his phone and only took notice once Yuri gasped and stood up suddenly. Not knowing what was going on, Viktor stood up as well and gave Yuri a questioning look.

“Yuri, what is it? What happened? Is everything okay?”

Viktor watched as Yuri waved his hands about frantically and his mouth opened and close, trying to form words. Eventually, Yuri decided to thrust his phone into Viktor’s face to show him instead. Scanning it quickly, Viktor’s eyes grew wide as well. He gave Yuri a wide grin.

“D-did I read that correctly? Is it true?” whispered Yuri.

Viktor only responded by coming around and pulling Yuri into a tight hug. He gasped at the unexpected action. Pulling back slightly, Viktor’s grin seemed to grow even wider.

“Congratulations, Yuri! You did it!”

“I, I did?”

Viktor laughed slightly at Yuri’s bewildered expression. He gave a nod as they made eye contact.

“You did. Your piece got accepted, Yuri. It’s going to be in the art exhibit.”

“It is?”

Viktor gave Yuri a gentle smile before nodding again. He watched finally took in the reality of the situation before pulling Viktor into a hug again.

“Thank you,” he mumbled into Viktor’s neck. “Thank you for everything.”

Yuri hadn’t realized when he started crying, but he leaned back to wipe away at his tears. He gave Viktor a smile, which was returned immediately.

“There’s no need to thank me. It was all you, Yuri. It was all of your hard work.”

Yuri nodded and continued to wipe his tears away. Viktor reached out to ruffle his hair before tilting his head towards the door. Understanding what he meant, Yuri gathered his things. Before leaving, he turned back around to face Viktor with a smile.

“Thank you, Viktor, for everything. I’m so glad to have you as a friend.”

“I’m glad you’re my friend too, Yuri,” replied Viktor with a small smile.

Once out of view, neither of them could see the other’s expression drop slightly.

* * *

Once Yuri informed Phichit of what happened, he was already texting everyone that he knew to their place for a celebration. Yuri felt it was unnecessary to do so since there were plenty of other students who had gotten their pieces accepted as well, but despite his protests, Yuri looked forward to being around his friends.

Yuri soon found himself on the couch, surrounded by the joyful laughter of his friends. Along with the group from before, JJ, Michele, and Sara were all able to join them this time around as well. Their inhibitions and worries gradually left thanks to the drinks supplied by Chris and JJ.

“And that’s when I told him to fuck off! Can you believe that guy? What makes him think it would be alright to ask Michele and I that?! He’s my brother!” exclaimed Sara before taking a drink from her bottle. “But anyway, he got what was coming for him after Mila took his phone and texted his mother what happened. Absolutely worth it.”

The group laughed loudly as Sara finished her story.

“Man, I would’ve paid good money to see that guy’s expression,” struggled JJ.

“You guys would’ve loved it! He looked about ready to have the ground swallow him up,” added Michele. “You still should’ve let me punch him, Sara. That would’ve been hilarious.”

“Oh yeah? And who would’ve bailed you out of jail after that? Because it definitely wouldn’t have been me,” responded Sara with a stern look.

Emil jumped up quickly and waved his arms around.

“Oh! Oh! I would bail you out, Michele! I’ve got your back!”

“Of course Emil would be the one to do so,” quipped Chris while sending the group a suggestive wink. The group continued to laugh once again, understanding what Chris was implying. He took another swig of his drink before speaking again.

“But if we’re going to talk about relationships…” began Chris as he turned to look at Yuri. Phichit, who was sitting next to him, gave a wide grin as everyone looked over with interest.

“Really, Chris? Again? Seriously?” groaned Yuri.

“Hey now. What’s this? Does Yuri here have someone special in his life?” asked JJ as he moved closer to Yuri.

“No, I don’t. There’s no one,” answered Yuri as he brought his cup up to his lips.

“That’s not what it looked like when I saw you in the park last week,” said Chris with a smirk.

Yuri choked on his drink at the comment, while Phichit looked over and gasped. Realizing that the others were confused, Guang-Hong and Leo quickly informed them about Yuri and Professor Nikiforov.

“You two had a park date?! You told me you did nothing over spring break, Yuri!”

“It wasn’t important, Phichit! He just thought it’d be nice if we hung out for a bit. We were just walking his dog.”

“I don’t know,” interrupted Chris. “You guys looked pretty comfortable on that bench.”

“We were just talking,” explained Yuri. “And how did you even know we met up?”

Chris shrugged before responding.

“I go for a run in that park every once in awhile and I happened to catch you guys there.”

Yuri sighed before turning to face his best friend. He expected Phichit to react like before, but instead his friend appeared to contemplating the meaning of life or why calculus was invented. After a moment, he finally noticed Yuri looking at him with a concerned look.

“I have a question,” started Phichit. “You said you met up over the break, right?”

Yuri nodded.

“But you didn’t plan this before the break?”

“No. It was just a last minute sort of thing.”

“Then, how did you plan this?”

“He texted me?”

Phichit nodded as Yuri continued to watch his friend’s reaction. Phichit took a deep breath before deciding to speak.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had his number?! Is he the one you’ve been texting this entire time?!”

Chris took note of how Yuri winced slightly at the unexpected outburst and placed a calming hand on Phichit’s shoulder.

“Come on, Phichit. I’m invested in this too, but I’m sure Yuri had his reasons for not mentioning it.”

Once calm again, Yuri began to explain himself to everyone.

“I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. He gave me his number because it would be easier for us to contact each other that way since we  _ are _ friends. And yes, we’ve been texting each other, but that’s nothing special either. Honestly, most of our texts are pictures of his dog and random animal videos that he comes across.”

Everyone nodded at this as Yuri looked off thoughtfully. He took a sip before continuing.

“And once again, nothing is going on between the two of us and nothing will happen either. We’re just friends, nothing more.”

Taking note of how Yuri took a much larger drink that time, the group remained quiet as they watched their friend lose himself in his thoughts. Realizing it was time for a change in subject, Chris quickly brought up this new and upcoming DJ that he happened upon at a nightclub in town. It took a moment, but the conversation and laughter picked up once more as the alcohol continued to slowly wash away all of their doubts and worries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for your support and patience. It is because of you all that I was able to make it through my incredibly long and rough week. Thank you so very much.
> 
>  **EDIT:** So I'm planning on doing a spin-off fic to this one after I'm done and I may have put a reference to it in this chapter. Did you happen to spot it? :P
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannnie.tumblr.com)


	12. Colorful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And on that cheek, and o'er that brow,  
> So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,  
> The smiles that win, the tints that glow,  
> But tell of days in goodness spent,  
> A mind at peace with all below,  
> A heart whose love is innocent!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! It's finally here! The student art exhibit! You all have waited patiently and it is finally here!  
> I originally wanted this to be longer, but once I started writing and once I finished it, I realized the length didn't matter. I just felt like this would be enough and I hope it is for you all too.
> 
> There are some musical pieces mentioned in this chapter and normally, I probably wouldn't link to them, but the piece that's mentioned at the end is an important one to me and holds a very special place in my heart, so if you'd like to listen to it while that final scene is going on, here it is.  
> [Lullaby - William Hofeldt](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ1RiCGwOpM)
> 
> And now, I hope you all enjoy the long-awaited student art exhibit as much as I enjoyed writing it!

The rest of March went by without any major incidents between Viktor and Yuri. Viktor did ask Yuri to look over Makkachin one weekend since he had to go out of town for a conference, but not much happened then either. Nothing overly prominent changed in their interactions, but their conflicting feelings for each other continued to grow with both of them not knowing that the other returned the same feelings. Whether they were aware of it or not, their emotions gradually bled into their actions as well. A lingering touch here and a longing gaze there. Thoughts straying to the other when reminded of something in particular. None of it was enough, but that was what they had to settle for given their situation and because both of them were reluctant to act on their feelings for fear of losing what they had.

The student art exhibit soon came as well during the first week of April. The exhibit was important to many of the art students since it could serve as the start of their careers. It brought in various critics and reviewers and other appreciators of art that were all on the lookout for new, young artists to sponsor before they hit their peak, which is why getting a piece in the art exhibit meant everything to the art students.

Given that it attracted a variety of patrons who often had deep pockets, the opening reception for the student art exhibit was a fairly formal affair. A string quartet assembled from some of the university’s finest musicians were playing a piece by Tchaikovsky in the corner. A team of servers dressed in black and white were delivering trays of hors d'oeuvres and glasses of sparkling cider and punch to the visitors. The subtle murmuring of conversations drifted around the room as people discussed the various pieces on display.

Yuri was currently sipping on a flute of sparkling punch as he and his friends slowly made their way through the exhibit. They hadn’t come to his piece yet and he was beginning to grow anxious as they worked their way through the various pieces. JJ had produced an incredible sculpture. The other Yuri had created a profound abstract painting. Phichit had his own photographs on display as well. Seeing everyone’s works made Yuri doubt his own. He knew he had spent hours pouring his heart and soul into this piece and he was so proud of it when he originally finished and submitted it, but being here now, his doubts began to consume him. They made him question if he had done enough to warrant a spot on the walls. Yuri thought about leaving as he thought about how he might have gotten accepted on another mistake again when a familiar voice called out to him.

Turning around, Yuri caught sight of Viktor approaching him with his own matching flute and felt himself gasp at the sight of the man. Viktor was dressed in one of his usual three-piece suits, but somehow managed to look even more attractive that night. Maybe it was the exhibit lights. Maybe it was how he styled his hair that night. Maybe it was that damn lip biting habit. Yuri wasn’t sure as he watched Viktor make his way over to him and his friends. He hadn’t realized he was staring until he felt Phichit gently nudge his shoulder.

“Uh. Professor Nikiforov! Hi! I’m glad to see you here this evening,” blurted Yuri. His hand shook slightly as he brought up his glass for a sip.

“It’s good to see you too, Yuri. I look forward to seeing your piece later,” replied Viktor with a smile.

Seeing the reassuring look in the professor’s eyes, Yuri calmed slightly and returned a smile of his own. The two were unknowingly lost in each other until Viktor broke their gaze to say hello to the rest of the group. They traded pleasantries momentarily before Viktor turned his attention back to Yuri. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted by Minako calling him from across the room. Viktor gave Yuri a regretful look that Yuri returned with a nod and a small smile. As he left, Phichit and Chris both took note of how Yuri continued to watch the older man leave with a wistful expression.

“Go after him already,” Chris muttered as he shoved at Yuri’s shoulder.

“Yeah. Go, Yuri,” added Phichit. He placed a comforting hand on his best friend’s shoulder.

Yuri only shook his head before turning away from his friends. They watched as he walked over to another piece in the room and stared at it with a blank expression. Phichit gave Chris a worried look that was matched.

“Should we do something?” whispered Phichit. Chris shook his head before answering.

“No. They’ll figure it out.” He glanced at the both of them on opposite sides of the room. “Maybe. Hopefully.”

Phichit only sighed in response before the two of them caught up to the rest of their group.

* * *

 

“As always, Yuri’s painting is absolutely stunning!” remarked Yakov. “His choice in color scheme was much better than his last piece. He’s learned a lot and is only getting better.”

“That’s to be expected of a scholarship student,” quipped Lilia, taking a sip from her glass.

Minako and Viktor both hummed in response as they drank from their flutes as well. Minako nodded before adding her own comments.

“The linear lines in this painting work well together, but I think I prefered how his other piece flowed more with its soft, curving lines. The bold colors with the bold lines is almost too much, too busy for me. What do you think, Viktor?”

The three professors looked over at Viktor who appeared to be staring intently at the painting, but in reality, he was only lost in his own thoughts. Feeling their gazes on him, Viktor took a deep breath to realign himself with reality.

“Um. It’s nice. I like it.”

Yakov and Lilia shared a look before rolling their eyes, while Minako snorted at Viktor’s highly insightful comment.

“Really? That’s all you have to say?” Minako asked with an amused look. Viktor shrugged and gave a sheepish smile.

“Sorry. I do like and appreciate it and Yuri has done a great job, but abstract art has always been a bit of a mystery to me.”

Yakov and Lilia had wandered over to another piece as Minako chuckled at Viktor’s confession. She shook her head before nudging him to another place in the room.

“Come on. Let’s go see Yuri’s painting. That boy worked for a week straight on it and I would’ve been sorely disappointed if it hadn’t gotten accepted.”

“Yeah. I remember. I actually had to send him home early by the end of that week because he was so sleep deprived,” said Viktor. “You weren’t kidding when you said Yuri was stubborn because I had to get one of his friends to drag him back home before he passed out.”

“That sounds like Yuri. Once his mind is set on something, he never knows when to stop.”

Minako stopped walking and Viktor assumed that they had reached Yuri’s painting. After weeks of waiting, he was finally able to see what Yuri had deemed worthy of losing a week’s worth of sleep over and he was not disappointed.

Viktor’s eyes grew wide and his mouth fell open as he took in all of the painting. He was vaguely aware that his friend was saying something as they continued to look at the large canvas before them, but he heard none of it as he focused on what was currently in front of him. The left half of the canvas was painted black while the right side was left white. A hand painted in white was on the black side of the canvas and was reaching out towards a hand painted in black on the right side. The fingers of each hand seemed to have barely touched each other, but it was enough to cause rivers of colors to flow from the center of the painting. Ribbons of red, blue, and purple sprouted from where the hands had made contact and entangled themselves around the painting and extended further out into the audience as well, pulling them into the painting.

Viktor was momentarily brought back to reality when Minako bumped into him slightly to read the display card aloud.

“Let’s see here,” she began. “‘Haut en couleur’ Yada, yada, yada. I don’t need to know the dimensions. Oh? ‘To V: You turned me on and brought color into my life.’ I wonder who that person is.”

Minako straightened back up and moved to stand next to Viktor. She looked over and was about to ask him for his thoughts, but upon seeing his expression, she only gave a small smile having understood before turning back to the painting and allowing Viktor to remain lost.

Viktor slowly took in the sight of the hands barely touching each other and how they were able to create something so lovely and entrancing. To be honest, the painting was almost typical. It could have been regarded as something a younger art student would have painted in an attempt to appear profound. It was something that one might have already seen before, but to Viktor, it meant so much more than that. Viktor understood what this painting meant and represented. This wasn’t just a culmination of Yuri’s week of exhaustion and fatigue. This was years of hard work and practice. This was god knows how many canvases. This was hours without sleep and days without meals. This was their time spent together. This was Yuri’s passion, Yuri’s heart, Yuri’s soul, Yuri’s everything. This was-

“Love.”

Viktor hadn’t realized he had spoken aloud, but Minako had heard and she smiled to herself when she did. She knew Yuri and Viktor had formed a strong relationship, being close to the both of them. She has seen the influence that they had on each other and had her suspicions, but nothing was really confirmed until now. Leaving her friend alone, Minako went to go find the artist on both of their minds. She knew it was unorthodox and inappropriate for the two of them, but she silently hoped that things would work out for them. They deserved some happiness in their lives.

* * *

 

Yuri felt his heart pound within his chest as Professor Okukawa dragged him next to where Viktor was standing before his painting. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head to look at Viktor’s profile. He couldn’t tell what the older man was thinking as he continued to stare intently at his painting and that worried him greatly. Yuri found some courage he didn’t know he had and finally spoke up.

“Viktor?”

He watched as Viktor jump slightly and quickly look in his direction. Yuri calmed down a bit when Viktor gave him a gentle look. The two smiled at each other.

“Yuri,” sighed Viktor.

Yuri took another deep breath. Viktor didn’t have to look down to know that Yuri’s free hand was tugging at the edge of his dress shirt's sleeve.

“So, uh, what do you think of it? Is it any good?”

Viktor stared at Yuri with a confused look that soon morphed back into the gentle look that he had given him earlier.

“Yuri,” began Viktor. “It’s beautiful. It’s perfect. It’s...you.”

Yuri gave a sigh in relief. A weight he didn’t know he had been carrying had been lifted. Viktor’s words were simple, but Yuri could see what they really meant.

“Thank you, Viktor, for everything.”

“No,” Viktor said as he shook his head slightly. “Thank _you_ , Yuri, for this.”

He gestured to the painting before turning back to Yuri.

“This is incredible. You did it and I love it. I love-”

Yuri raised an eyebrow in confusion as Viktor looked away suddenly.

“You love what, Viktor?”

“I love your piece. It’s wonderful,” said Viktor finally with a sigh. He turned to face Yuri again with a warm smile that made Yuri’s heart skip. “It’s beautiful, Yuri. Really. It’s absolutely beautiful.”

“Thank you, Viktor,” whispered Yuri with a warm smile of his own.

Viktor and Yuri continued to look at each other with reverence and appreciation as a Hofeldt song played softly in the background. Both of them wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold the other’s hand, but even though they couldn’t, they were filled with a comforting joy. The music’s melody echoed the warmth and happiness they felt for each other and lifted them away from the others around them. They were at peace with all below.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for everything.
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com)


	13. Feelings and Favors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fuuuuuuuuuck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this?! Three chapters?! In one week?!  
> To be honest, I probably could've written a chapter a day for you all, but I was lazy this spring break, so yeah. Either way, I'm glad I was able to get these chapters up for you guys because my break is coming to an end, so we'll be back to our usual rate now. So looks like we all have to wait until next week for the next update! Sorry!  
> I also feel kind of bad because not much really happens in this chapter and it's a bit on the short side too, so yeah. But things will happen in the next chapter! Maybe? Hopefully? On va voir.
> 
> Thank you for all of your support and kind words! They really do mean a lot to me, so thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
> 
> For now, I hope this transitional chapter keeps you vaguely satisfied until things actually happen next week. XP

“I don’t know what to do,” said Viktor. “There’s just so much to consider.”

When met with silence, he gave a sigh before continuing.

“I’m happy. I’m so happy. Seeing Yuri’s painting and knowing what it meant, what it represented filled me with so much joy. I’m just so happy to know that Yuri feels the same way that I do. Or at least, I think he does. I’m about 90% sure that he does. It really is nice to know that I’m not the only one who feels this way. Lower chances of me losing a friend too, but what do I do now?”

Viktor got up from where he was sitting and began to pace the room. His arms were crossed and his expression pensive.

“I mean, I want to tell him that I love him too, but how do I do that? I can’t just walk up and tell him. Can I? No, no. I need to be subtle about this. Right? Yeah. Maybe I should hint at it in one of our conversations. Just drop little clues here and there and that’ll work, right? I’m sure Yuri will pick up on it.”

He nodded at this, but upon second thought, shook his head at the idea.

“But what if he doesn’t pick up on it? What if he doesn’t understand what I’m trying to tell him? Maybe I should be more direct. Maybe I  _ should _ just tell him. I should just tell him how I feel. ‘Yuri Katsuki, I love you!’ There! I did it. I said it. I can do that again. Right?”

Viktor stopped walking to place his hands behind his head.

“But what do I do after I tell him? I did say I was only 90% certain that he feels the same way about me, but that’s just me being optimistic. What if I misinterpreted everything? What if I got the wrong message from the painting? I don’t know who all of his friends. What if I’m not V? There could be someone else. He could be referring to someone else entirely. What if he thinks of us as only friends? What do I do then? Things will be so awkward between us and I don’t want that. He’s my friend and I’m so glad I met him and I don’t want to lose that. I can’t lose that.”

With another sigh, Viktor sat back down.

“But he’s also my student and I’m his professor. Even if it all worked out and he does feel the same way, what do we do then? A relationship between a student and a professor could only lead to disaster, even if he weren’t in my class. Yuri only has about a year left anyway, so it’s not too long. I could wait for him until then. Or we could keep it a secret for a year. But what if we couldn’t keep it a secret? What if someone finds out? Everything would be ruined for Yuri and I can’t do that to him. He’s only just starting his career, his life. I don’t want to ruin that for him when he has so much more to look forward to.”

He rubbed at his face and groaned in frustration.

“But I can’t help but want to be selfish. I can’t help but want to be impatient. I can’t help but want something more between us. But I can’t. I shouldn’t. We shouldn’t.”

Leaning back in his seat, Viktor gave another sigh before turning to his patient friend who had been listening to his worries. He gave them a sad look.

“Makkachin, what do I do?”

Makkachin tilted their head to one side in confusion, which made Viktor snort.

“Of course. You don’t know. You’re a dog, Makkachin. You don’t have to worry about these kinds of things. Lucky you.”

Viktor reached out to pet his dog, but before he could, Makkachin suddenly leapt off the couch and ran off to who knows where. If it weren’t for his current mood, Viktor would’ve laughed at how his hand unexpectedly met the couch where Makkachin had been. He rolled his eyes before lying down on the couch completely and covering his eyes with his arm.

“That’s right. You’re a dog. You haven’t been listening to a single word I’ve said. It’s not like you understood any of it anyway.”

As Viktor laid there, he heard the sound of Makkachin’s feet on the floor. He heard the sound grow closer until the thud of something else hitting the floor next to him made him raise an eyebrow in confusion. He knew his dog was next to him, but was still shocked when he suddenly felt Makkachin’s nose poke at his cheek. Removing his arm, Viktor turned over to see what his dog had placed something on the ground next to the couch and was wagging their tail happily about, clearly proud of what they had done. He reached down to see what gift Makkachin had brought for him this time and gave a small smile at the sight of his sketchbook. Seeing their owner’s mood improve, Makkachin’s tail wagged even more when Viktor reached out to give them a scratch behind the ears.

“Maybe you did understand. Thank you, Makkachin.”

Makkachin nuzzled further into Viktor’s hand before giving it a lick. Satisfied, the dog ran off once again, leaving Viktor alone. He smiled before reaching over and grabbing one of the many pencils he always had scattered around on his coffee table.

The sketchbook was one of many that Viktor had. He had received his first one when he was still in single digits after his parents had seen how enthralled he had been after a visit to an art museum. They served as a kind of journal for Viktor. Over the years, he had filled all of them with various sketches, doodles, and drawings that came to mind when words seemed to fail him or when he found himself faced with life.

Viktor’s expression grew serious as his hand seemed to move on instinct across the page. Before he knew it, he had sketched out his own little version of Yuri’s painting and gave a sigh when he saw this. He moved further down the page and continued to draw whatever came to mind. Viktor sighed again when he saw that his next doodle was another version of Yuri’s painting, but with the hands actually holding each other this time. Throwing the sketchbook and pencil onto the coffee table, Viktor groaned into his hands.

“What do I do?” muttered Viktor.

Makkachin came running towards Viktor again, as if sensing his distress. Viktor gave another groan as his dog leapt up onto him and stared at him with their head resting on his chest. Viktor scratched at Makkachin’s ears once again causing the dog’s eyes to close happily before reaching up to lick at their owner’s cheek. The action caused Viktor to laugh before he held Makkachin close to him in comfort. He gave a sad smile as they both laid there. He tried to think of other things, but they continued to drift back to the same person. With another sigh, Viktor found himself just as conflicted as he had been before he saw Yuri’s painting.

* * *

It was the start of the week after the art exhibit. Viktor and Yuri were currently in Viktor’s office like usual. The two of them were silent as they tapped away at their phones. Viktor laughed slightly when he saw Yuri’s expression change at something on his phone.

“You do realize we’re in the same room, right?” asked Yuri.

“I didn’t want to get up,” replied Viktor with a shrug.

“We’re sitting across of each other!”

“I still didn’t want to get up.”

Yuri rolled his eyes at this before pressing play on the dog video that Viktor sent him. They fell back into a comfortable silence again. Both of them happy to ignore their current responsibilities. Yuri looked up with a concerned look when he heard Viktor let out an expletive.

“Oh. Fuck.”

“What? What’s wrong? What happened?” Yuri looked up from his phone as he said this.

“I have to go to a conference this week,” said Viktor, wide-eyed. Yuri pursed his lips in confusion at this.

“I know. You told us this in class earlier. That’s why class is canceled this Friday.”

Yuri knew his memory wasn’t the best, but he was certain he remembered Viktor telling their class that earlier. He had memories of Chris telling him that he was glad to have an early start to the weekend.

“I know, but I forgot to get someone to watch over Makkachin and I also just realized that Makkachin has an appointment with the vet this Saturday too.”

Yuri watched as Viktor sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He began to search through the piles of papers on this desk for something. He mumbled something about how he really needed to be more organized. Yuri shook his head at this.

“Viktor, I can do it. I can watch Makkachin for you.”

Viktor stopped what he was doing and looked at Yuri with a surprised expression that caused the younger to chuckle slightly.

“Really? It’s not too much trouble?”

Yuri shook his head.

“Nah. It’s fine. I took care of Makkachin last month too, remember? It’s no problem.”

Viktor gave a sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair. He rubbed at his face before speaking again.

“Oh thank God. Thank you for this, Yuri. I had forgotten all about this. There’s just a lot to deal with right now.”

He turned to give Yuri a grateful smile to which Yuri simply waved his hand dismissively.

“Thank you again.”

“It’s not a problem. I understand.”

Viktor nodded at this before telling Yuri that he would give Yuri all of the details before he had to leave on Thursday. They soon went back to their phones now that Viktor’s issues were solved. However, it wasn’t long before Viktor spoke up again.

“Hey, Yuri, co-”

“Yes, I can drive you to the airport too.”

“Thanks, Yuri.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for all of your support! Words cannot begin to explain how grateful I am!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	14. Meeting Halfway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Words can never tell you, however,—form them, transform them anyway,—how perfectly dear you are to me—perfectly dear to my heart and soul–  
> I look back, and in every one point, every word and gesture, every letter, every silence—you have been entirely perfect to me—I would not change one word, one look–"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's here! It's finally here! I don't think I have to say anything else, so I'm not going to!
> 
> Go! Read! Enjoy! Ahhhhhh!!!

“Remember, if you need anything, I’m just a phone call or a text away.”

“I know.”

“Makkachin’s appointment is this Saturday. I wrote it on the calendar for you, but just in case, there are notes placed around the house reminding you too.”

“I know.”

“But just in case, I’ll probably also call you and text you as well.”

“You don’t need to-”

“Remember that Makkachin needs to go for a walk once in the morning and once in the evening. Afterwards, you can give them a small treat too.”

“Viktor, it’s-”

“Makkachin is fine at home alone, but I’m worried that they might feel lonely, so don’t hesitate to stop by often. Makkachin really likes you and you know where the spare key is.”

“It’s-”

“I might call to talk to Makkachin sometimes too, so maybe you should just stay over. Then, I won’t have to worry about Makkachin being lonely either.”

“Viktor, pl-”

“Actually, my place is a complete mess right now, so I don’t even know if that’s possible. But if you decide to do so, you might want to clean up a bit. I’m sorry if you have to. I’ll pay you extra for that.”

“It’s f-”

“Remember, if you need anything, I’m just a phone call or a text away.”

“You already told me-”

“Makkachin has an appointment this Saturday, so don’t forget that. Also, Makka-”

“Viktor!” Yuri finally exclaimed. Viktor stared at him wide-eyed. Yuri gave a sigh before squeezing Viktor’s shoulder reassuringly. “It’s going to be okay.”

Viktor nodded slightly before reaching up to scratch at the back of his head.

“Yeah. I know. Sorry. I’m just...worried.”

Viktor looked down and shuffled his feet slightly to which Yuri gave him a small smile.

“Hey. It’s okay. I know you’re worried, but it’s going to be fine. I’ve done this before.”

“I know.”

“Plus, you told me all of this when I came to pick you up too.”

“Yeah.”

“And when I drove us here.”

“Yeah.”

“So don’t worry. It’s going to be fine.”

Looking up, Viktor gave Yuri a small smile of his own before nodding. He gave a sigh after seeing what time it was on his phone.

“I should probably get going. Don’t want to miss my flight.”

Viktor knelt down to pet Makkachin and give his dog a hug. Yuri watched as he gave a small laugh when Makkachin pressed their wet nose against his cheek, as if it were a kiss. Getting back up again, Viktor held his arms open for Yuri. The two embraced for some time before Viktor finally pulled away with a sigh.

“Thank you for this, Yuri.”

“It’s no problem.”

As Viktor walked away, he turned back one last time to give a small wave. Yuri called out to him, telling him to have a safe flight. He failed to notice the sad look in Viktor’s eyes, but felt an odd pain in his chest as he returned the wave. He chuckled at the sight of Viktor giving Makkachin a wave and delighted in how Viktor smiled as Yuri knelt down and made Makkachin give a small wave too.

Once Viktor was out of sight, Yuri and Makkachin returned to Viktor’s place. Yuri laughed as Makkachin ran around, as if searching for Viktor, before returning to nudge Yuri’s hand. The dog looked up at him in a confused manner as Yuri pet them.

Looking around the place, Yuri shook his head at the number of books and papers scattered around across various surfaces. Viktor wasn’t a complete slob, but when it came to his work, it was clear that all of it was an organized mess that only Viktor could understand. Yuri hadn’t planned on helping Viktor clean up, but he figured the least he could do was assemble the papers together, so that it didn’t look as if an encyclopedia had decided to vomit its pages. He still had some time before he needed to take Makkachin out for their evening walk, so tidying up made for a good time waster.

Yuri stuck to just the main living area when it came to his cleaning. Not knowing where exactly everything should go, he simply stacked the books placed on Viktor’s couch and dining table in a stack on the coffee table. He moved to gather the papers strewn across it, but stopped when he came across another book. Yuri turned to place it with the other books until he realized that it was actually an open sketchbook and he couldn’t help but notice what was drawn on the page.

Yuri reached a hand out and gently traced his fingers over the rough pencil marks. It was hard to believe that he was looking at what appeared to be his painting, but as he moved his fingers across the indents on the page, he couldn’t deny them. Moving further down the page, his fingers continued to follow the lines of Viktor’s revised sketch and he felt that same odd pain that he had felt in his chest earlier. His hands shook slightly as he reached the points where the hands met.

Yuri didn’t know how long he had been standing there, as he took in the clasped hands before him. His previous cleaning task had been long forgotten. He jumped slightly when he felt Makkachin’s head hit his leg and realized it must have been time for their evening walk. The cool night air did nothing to help Yuri with the unknown ache.

* * *

Yuri didn’t know when he had made it home and only realized he had when Phichit called out to him from his position on the couch. Noticing his best friend’s expression, Phichit nodded towards the couch and Yuri moved to sit next to him. He said nothing as he patiently watched Yuri remain lost in his thoughts. Eventually, the silence was broken.

“I don’t know what to do,” said Yuri after some time.

“About what, Yuri?”

“I don’t know what to do about Viktor,” sighed Yuri. Phichit waited once again, knowing that his friend had more to say.

“You know I’m taking care of his dog for him again and I was over there earlier since I had to drop him off at the airport and bring his dog home. There was still some time before I needed to give Makkachin their walk, so I thought I’d help organize a little bit and I came across some things and I just. I think Viktor...has feelings for me? I just don’t know what to do.”

“Okay,” began Phichit tentatively. “Do you feel the same way?”

“No. I mean, yes. I mean, I shouldn’t. But I do. I mean,” Yuri sighed again, “I don’t know.”

Phichit waited patiently as he watched his friend organize his thoughts.

“I thought I did in the beginning, but as we got closer, I thought that maybe I had gotten over it, that maybe it was just a crush. When we became friends, I really did think that it was all just a crush, that I didn’t really feel that way about him. But now...I don’t know. I think I might feel more than I thought I did.

“But not only that, I don’t understand it. I don’t understand it at all. Viktor is beyond out of my league. He’s brilliant and he’s kind and he’s funny and he’s the absolute sweetest. He could have anyone else on this planet, so it’s hard for me to comprehend why he would like someone like me. I don’t think he likes me the same way that I do, but at the same time, I think he does and I don’t know how I feel about that.”

Yuri had pulled his knees to his chest and had his arms wrapped around them. His chin was resting on his knees before Phichit gently pulled him in for a tight hug. Letting go, Yuri gave Phichit a silent thank you that his friend returned with a small smile before speaking.

“I think you should talk to him.”

Yuri made a small whining noise in the back of his throat that caused Phichit to laugh slightly.

“I mean it. You said you that he might have feelings for you and that you might feel the same way, but you’re not going to know until the two of you talk about this. Don’t let this linger longer than it has to.”

“But what if it doesn’t work out? I still want him in my life! He’s my friend, after all! I don’t want to lose him. I just...I don’t know, Phichit.”

Phichit pulled his friend back into a hug again. This time, Yuri let go of his legs and wrapped his arms around his best friend, returning the hug.

“I know. I understand. It’s scary, but honestly, I think it’ll be okay. I think you and Viktor are going to be just fine.”

“How do you know that, Phichit?” mumbled Yuri. “You’re not just saying that because you want us together, right?”

Phichit snorted at this and shook his head.

“No, I’m not. I’m saying this because I want you to be happy and I have faith in the fact that you will be. You don’t have to act now, but keep it in mind. Okay?”

Phichit felt Yuri nod his head before letting his friend go again. Yuri thanked his friend again and got up from the couch to go and get ready for bed. He wasn’t completely satisfied yet, but it was a start to this long process of organizing.

* * *

The time until Viktor’s return passed by uneventfully. The two remained in contact, but most of it was just Viktor telling Yuri about how this conference was boring and him asking how Makkachin was doing. Yuri had nearly gotten into trouble when Viktor called him and asked to speak to Makkachin while Yuri was clearly still in class that day. He had been amused by how relieved Viktor had been once Yuri had told him that Makkachin’s vet appointment had gone perfectly fine and that Makkachin was doing alright.

Yuri’s thoughts had been plagued by Viktor though. He couldn’t seem to do anything without being reminded of the other man. He blamed it on the fact that Phichit had subtly suggested this whole confession idea to him, but he knew it wasn’t true. Viktor had always been on Yuri’s mind and he just hadn’t been fully aware of it until now. He hadn’t been fully aware of his feelings until now.

He continued to ponder them as he and Makkachin stood there, waiting for Viktor’s flight to come in. Like Viktor had said, the dog liked Yuri and remained sitting by his side. He pulled at the edge of his shirt like always as he debated how he wanted to go about doing this. Yuri didn’t want to do it too soon, but he knew Phichit was right and that they both needed to discuss this.

Maybe I should do it later? But how should I do it? I should be direct! But  _ can  _ I be direct? Oh God. I don’t know if I can do that. Maybe I should be subtle. Viktor is smart. I’m sure he’ll pick up on it. But what if I’m  _ too _ subtle? What do I do then? Then I’d still have to be direct. So I should be direct then! But that’s really scary though. I can’t just walk up and tell him-

Internally battling himself, Yuri failed to notice when Viktor came up to him. The silver haired man took a while to notice that Yuri wasn’t paying attention as he rambled about how he was happy to be back home and how the man next to him hadn’t stopped snoring. Viktor placed a hand gently on Yuri’s shoulder to bring him back to reality.

“Viktor, I love you!”

The two of them gasped and stared at each other with wide eyes at the realization of what Yuri had just blurted out. Yuri raised his hands to cover his face and mouth as if to try and take it all back.

“What?” whispered Viktor after some time.

“I, uh, I just. Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. I didn’t meant to say that! I mean, I meant it, but I didn’t mean to say it now! But, oh god. I’m so sorry. If you don’t feel the same way, I’m so sorry. I just made this really awkward. Oh God. Oh God. What do I do? What do I do? I just. Oh God. What do I-?”

“Can I kiss you?”

“What?”

Yuri moved his hands away from his face. He and Viktor continued to stare at each other. He watched as Viktor bit his lip nervously.

“Can I kiss you, Yuri?”

Lost for words and not trusting himself, Yuri only gave a small nod. He thought Viktor might not have even noticed it until he took a step closer to him. Viktor moved his hand to rest on Yuri’s cheek. He gasped slightly as he felt Viktor move his thumb against his skin. Viktor rested his forehead against Yuri’s and silently asked once again for permission. Yuri nodded slightly before Viktor leaned in fully to meet him.

Yuri felt his breath hitch when he felt Viktor’s lips on his own. The kiss was a brief one, giving each of them only a taste of the other. Pulling apart, they both took in the others reaction. Finally understanding that this was reality for him, Yuri leaned into Viktor this time. He caught a glimpse of Viktor’s smile before closing his eyes to kiss him once more.

Despite this being only their second kiss together, it felt as if they had been doing this for a lifetime. Yuri took note of how soft Viktor’s lips felt against his own, how they fit together, how they moved together. He savored how he could taste the lip balm he always saw Viktor put on. It was sweet and he found himself wanting more of it. He felt his heart race as Viktor pulled him closer by placing his other hand on his waist. As if on instinct, Yuri wrapped his arms around Viktor’s neck, further deepening the kiss. He gave a gasp when he felt Viktor nip at his bottom lip and felt their breaths dance within his lungs. Yuri delighted in how Viktor tasted of mint and the coffee he had bought before his flight. He felt Viktor gasp as well and wondered if he was as intoxicating as he found Viktor to be.

Neither had any idea how long they had kissed, but from how breathless they were and how their hearts seemed to pound within their ears, they assumed it had been a while. Their lips broke apart, but neither moved away from each other. Instead, Viktor rested his forehead on Yuri’s, like he had done earlier. The hand that had been on Yuri’s cheek had migrated down to match the other one on his waist, pulling him closer still. Their hearts glowed as they gazed at each other with cheeks flushed and eyes full of affection. Soft smiles were exchanged as they realized what had finally come from their months of silent longing, all of it worth this one moment.

“Yuri,” whispered Viktor against his lips, “I love you too.”

Yuri had assumed that from how he felt Viktor pour his soul into their kiss in the same way that he had for his painting, but hearing it verbalized, hearing it out loud, made his chest ache once again. Not knowing what else to say, Yuri pulled Viktor in for another kiss that Viktor happily returned.

Before, the ache had been painful to Yuri, but in the midst of their kiss, he realized this ache was different from the other. The ache from before came from a longing for something to fill a need within him. The ache that he felt now came from love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for your patience and your support! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was honestly a bit of a struggle getting this done since I've got a ton of work to do, but here it is, what we all wanted! Thank you so very much once again!!!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	15. Revelation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So what are we?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to get this up earlier, but I've had a lot of work to do, so yeah. I'm sorry! D:  
> This also leads me into some not-so-great news because as it gets closer to the end of the school year, the more work I have to do, which means less updates. I know I said that I don't have a set schedule, but I've been pretty consistent with posting a chapter a week. However, it's going to be less likely now. Don't worry! I will still be writing! It'll just be less frequent.
> 
> On the plus side though, I only have about a month and half of school left, so once that's done, I will be back to my usual rate then.  
> Also, I mentioned I had a lot of work to do and one of the things I've been working on is my piece for the [Shall We Skate!!! Exchange](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/shallweskateexchange/profile). I can't reveal much about it just yet, but I _can_ say that it ended up being much longer than I thought it would be. ~~It's over 4k words long, to be exact.~~ So be on the look out for my piece in about a month!
> 
> For now, I'm sorry that we're only getting a short and uneventful chapter, but we'll get to some fluff ~~and angst~~ soon. Thank you for everything!

The drive back to Viktor’s place was a quiet one. Viktor remained silent due to his fatigue and was currently napping, but Yuri was quiet due to the change in their relationship. He wasn’t sure how to define it just yet and he was happy to know that Viktor returned his feelings, but where do they go from here? Are they together now? Is this a one time thing? Are they an actual couple? What about the bigger problem though? Yuri is still a student and Viktor is still his professor. What do they do about that? Would they keep the relationship a secret? Would they wait until he graduated?

But an even bigger mystery to Yuri was Viktor’s feelings for him. Why did Viktor feel the same way? Why does he like me? What’s so special about me? What made me worth this much to him? He deserves someone better than me. These thoughts continued to pester him and he couldn’t get them to stop. They ate away at him and it soon felt difficult to breathe. Yuri just couldn’t seem to fully accept the fact that Viktor actually felt the same way about him.

Yuri’s mind continued to race and his anxiety grew. He wanted to desperately voice his fears and worries and discuss this with Viktor, but the man remained asleep until they arrived at their destination. He helped Viktor gather his things in a half-asleep daze and got him to his apartment door. Yuri was about to leave when Viktor pulled him back. He froze, but soon relaxed when he felt Viktor’s hands on his cheek and their lips meet for a brief kiss. When they broke apart, Viktor’s hands remained in place, rubbing little circles with his thumb. They smiled contently at each other, but Viktor could see the worry in Yuri’s eyes.

“Don’t worry. We’ll talk about all of this tomorrow,” whispered Viktor. Yuri gave a small sigh before nodding slightly. His anxiety lessened a bit. Viktor leaned forward to place a sweet kiss on Yuri’s forehead before they bid each other a good night.

* * *

Both Viktor and Yuri were now eternally grateful for the fact that very few people came by to see the professor at the same time Yuri did. Viktor got his fair share of visitors, of course, being a young and attractive professor, but luckily, it was unlikely that anyone would come by during their meeting the following day given the subject matter.

Truthfully, Yuri had intended to text Viktor, asking if he could come over and they could talk about it after classes were done, but that wait was too long and he was already meeting with Viktor anyway, so he decided to bring it up now. He didn’t know where or how to begin all of this since he hadn’t intended to confess like that, but Yuri wasn’t the only one who was pondering the parameters of their relationship either and Viktor knew Yuri well enough to know that it was best to get this conversation out of the way.

Yuri was currently sitting in his usual seat with Viktor seated behind his desk. He was unable to meet Viktor’s gaze as he tugged at the edge of his shirt. He was suddenly reminded of the first time he had come here. Yuri opened and closed his mouth a number of times, trying to figure out how to begin this conversation, but luckily, Viktor could see him struggling and decided to start them off.

“Yuri, we should talk about our relationship and I think it would be best to start by letting you know that I do want a relationship with you.”

Yuri quickly looked towards Viktor who laughed at the sight of his wide eyes and open mouth. His shock and confusion were evident and Viktor gave him a gentle smile to let him know that he wasn’t joking.

“I know this is considered unprofessional, but I do really want something between the two of us. However, I do understand if you have any sort of reservations about this.”

Viktor began to feel hesitant himself though when Yuri continued to just stare at him. Maybe Yuri  _ did _ have some reservations about their relationship. After all, they were still student and teacher and that came with risks for both of them. Maybe Yuri didn’t want anything after all.

“But why?”

Viktor had barely heard Yuri over his own thoughts. He could see that Yuri had more to say and remained silent.

“Why are you interested in me?”

Viktor gave a relieved sigh before getting up from his place behind his desk to sit in the chair next to Yuri. He reached out a hand and gently pried Yuri’s hand away from his shirt before holding them in his own. The little circles drawn on the back of them calmed him. The other hand tilted Yuri’s hand towards him. Yuri could see nothing but kindness in Viktor.

“Because you’re sweet and you’re kind. You’re always helping me out and I’ve seen you help out many others in class as well. You’re talented and bright. Don’t tell the others I told you this, but you’re one of my top students currently.”

Viktor smiled at the slight blush on Yuri’s cheeks.

“You work harder than anyone else that I’ve ever met. You’re filled with nothing but love and it shows in everything that you do. You put everything that you have to give into everything that you do, no matter how small it may seem to be, and it makes me want to be better.”

Yuri gasped slightly when Viktor leaned closer and squeezed his hand tighter.

“But most importantly, you’re my friend. You always stop by to see me and you always listen to me patiently. You put up with me when no one else does. We haven’t known each other for long, but you’re always there for me and it makes me feel like I’m not alone anymore.”

Nothing but love and adoration were reflected in Viktor’s eyes and Yuri felt himself tremble slightly. He never thought much of himself and Viktor had helped him see himself in a better light with the art exhibit, but he never thought Viktor’s feelings ran this deep. His explanation was short, but Yuri felt Viktor pour as much as he could into his words.

He never realized how lonely it must be for Viktor. The man had moved from another country with just his dog for a job here. From past conversations, Yuri knew that his contact with his family was scarce because of the distance and the fact that they had their own lives to attend to. He hadn’t realized how much Viktor had valued their friendship and how much he valued their friendship either.

Yuri took a moment to absorb everything that was poured upon him. The weight of the words caused him to sigh. He wanted so badly to believe and accept them and for the most part, he did, but those damn insecurities always lingered.

“But are you really sure though?” Yuri finally asked. He watched as Viktor gave a thoughtful look.

“Well, we made out in public at an airport, so I’d like to say yes.”

Yuri grew bright red at this and looked away once more. Viktor only laughed at how adorable he looked. His laughter only made Yuri even redder.

“Now that that’s out of the way, let’s actually talk about our relationship.”

Yuri nodded, signaling Viktor to continue.

“I know that, given our positions, there are a lot of possible consequences that could come from the two of us being together. Rationally, I know we should wait until you graduate, but I really don’t want to wait. I want to be with you, but if you think it’s better that we do, I’m more than willing to wait.”

Viktor could see Yuri process his words once more. He felt him squeeze his hand before nodding firmly.

“I want to be with you too.”

They both smiled at each when this was said, affection in their eyes, but Yuri’s expression turned into a worried one.

“I’m scared too, of course. I mean, obviously, if we do this, we’re going to have to keep it a secret, but what if we get caught? What do we do then? I don’t want you losing your job over someone like me. What about your future? What then?”

Viktor cut Yuri off by placing a chaste kiss on his hand. Pulling away, he gave Yuri a gentle look.

“Then, we’ll do our best and if it happens, we’ll deal with it together.”

Yuri nodded at this as Viktor continued to gaze at him. He felt Viktor squeeze his hand again and saw him lean forward slightly, while biting his lip. His intention was obvious, so Yuri leaned forward to meet him halfway, but they suddenly pulled apart when they heard the sound of the door opening. Yuri gave a small yelp, while Viktor quickly stumbled back to his desk. Yuri couldn’t tell who had entered since he had immediately looked away and attempted to cover his blush with his hand. From the corner of his eye, he could see Viktor give a professional smile as he tried to make it appear as if nothing had happened.

“Ah. Chris, it’s good to see you. I was just chatting with Yuri here, but what can I help you with?”

Viktor tried to act casual, but from how Chris kept looking between him and the back of Yuri with an interested look, he was internally praying to every deity he could think of to save them both. He didn’t know what he would do if his newfound relationship were to crash and burn already. After what seemed like an eternity, Chris finally spoke.

“Fucking finally.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow in confusion as his student sighed in relief. Yuri turned around shyly to face them both.

“I’m sorry?” Viktor asked.

“It took the two of you long enough.”

Viktor remained confused as Chris gave them both a broad grin. He reached a hand out to pat at Yuri’s shoulder, which caused him to squeak in shock.

“Good job, Yuri. I wish you nothing but the best.”

“Thank you, Chris,” responded Yuri hesitantly.

“I’m gonna go tell Phichit now.”

Yuri groaned at this causing Chris to laugh.

“I was going to tell him when we got home,” mumbled Yuri. Chris only stuck his tongue out before responding.

“Too bad. I’m telling him now.”

With that, Chris left the office after giving a quick wave to Viktor and Yuri. Viktor was still thoroughly confused, while Yuri had his face buried in his hands.

“I’m so sorry about that,” said Yuri after a moment.

“You mean that-? So they-? I, what?”

Yuri lifted his head up and gave Viktor an awkward shrug.

“Chris and Phichit...they’ve been wanting us to get together for a while now.”

“Huh. I see,” nodded Viktor. He was clearly still trying to process everything.

Yuri then explained to Viktor that if anyone was going to help them keep their relationship a secret, it would be Chris and Phichit. He laughed as Yuri recounted how the two of them had seen their signs of attraction before they had, but he was even happier to hear that Yuri had such great friends. It meant a lot knowing that someone would be on their side.

Viktor didn’t think twice about giving Yuri a quick kiss when he left that day. He smiled at the sight of Yuri’s red cheeks and the thought made his affection grow stronger. Being in a relationship was still surreal to them, but never had either of them been happier. There were still worries that pestered them, but they were together now and they would face all of those problems together as well.

Yuri walked home alone that day since Phichit had texted him saying that he had to run a quick errand. What Yuri didn’t expect was for Phichit to show up with their other friends and drinks with them while he was lounging on the couch and texting Viktor in his underwear. Once wearing clothing, they all wished him nothing but the best as they drank throughout the evening. At some point, no one noticed when Yuri had snuck off to call Viktor and wish him a good night. Though brief, it left an immortal warmth within both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for your support and patience! It really means a lot to me and I hope I get to updating soon. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com)


	16. Teaser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Can't keep my hands to myself

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm here! I'm back! I'm not dead! ~~Maybe close to dead?~~  
>  Sorry for the long wait. There's still a lot left for me to do this semester and oh lord. I'm just a very tired potato. But we're almost to the end of the semester! I have about a month left, which means only a month until I can get back to regular updating!  
> I am sad to say, however, that I will most likely not be able to update again until next month since I pretty much have two 7-page essays due every week until May and I really need to devote my writing time to them. You might get one or two updates for _Day by Day_ , but that's no guarantee either.
> 
>  **HOWEVER!** I mentioned in the last chapter note that I was working on something for the [Shall We Skate!!! Exchange](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/shallweskateexchange/profile) and the reveals are coming up soon, so you won't be completely fic-less for the rest of this month!  
>  Once again, I can't reveal any details about what I've written, but expect to see my fic up by April 28th. You'll officially know which one is mine by April 30th. So be on the look out for that because I quite like how this one-shot went. :]
> 
> Anyway, it's a bit of a shorter chapter, but hopefully, the things that happen will keep you satisfied until the next chapter because both of these events did happen to me and they still cause me distress to this day. Enjoy!

Given that it was edging closer to the end of the semester and the amount of work that Viktor and Yuri had to do was gradually increasing, the time they spent together was largely restricted to the classroom and Viktor’s office hours. The power of technology made it possible for them to remain in constant contact with each other, but their face to face contact was limited.

That also meant their interactions with each other were confined to a university setting, which didn’t allow for them to develop their relationship in a more physical manner, to Viktor’s displeasure. The older man was still careful in his advances, of course, always aware of what Yuri’s limits were and never wanting to push him too far, but ever since their first kiss together, Viktor found himself wanting more. He had always greatly enjoyed being around Yuri and the establishment of their relationship made those feeling stronger, but the added physical components were something that Viktor hadn’t realized was lacking within his life.

The need to be connected with Yuri was constant and Viktor did as much as he could to find some form of physical contact with Yuri, reveling in every moment. In the confines of his office, Viktor had migrated from his usual position behind his desk to the seat next to Yuri, so he could more easily grab hold of his hand, sighing at the warmth and the gentle calluses. It was slightly difficult given the arms on the chairs, but Viktor did what he could to pull Yuri closer to adorn him with the occasional kiss. Viktor was only edged on further at the sight of the rosy color that painted Yuri’s skin. The color seemed to always show and linger, no matter how many times they made contact and Viktor delighted in knowing that he was the cause of his partner’s blushes and shy looks.

Yuri was, of course, well aware of Viktor’s lingering touches and he certainly wasn’t opposed to them either. He was surprised by how quickly he had taken to the increased affection, but Viktor always took notice of what was too much for Yuri and never went any further, making it easy for Yuri to adapt. Not only that, like Viktor, Yuri hadn’t realized how much physical contact had been missing from him either and he adored how Viktor’s need for contact wasn’t coming from a place of just lust, but from a need to be connected and to know that the other was really there. Who would've thought that something as simple as holding hands could mean so much to the two of them?

But Viktor’s affections weren’t confined to just his office. He really did try to keep his hands to himself, but the thought of seeing Yuri’s flushed cheeks and knowing that they were both feeling the same thing fueled him further. Viktor never took it too far, of course. They knew the consequences would be dire, if anyone found out about their relationship, but Viktor couldn’t help, but enjoy teasing Yuri with faint illusions of contact.

* * *

About a fortnight into their relationship and at around the end of April, a prominent professor came by to give a lecture on Monet. Being an art professor and an art student, Viktor and Yuri were obviously in attendance, seizing the opportunity to learn more about the impressionist painter and how his works related to the sacred and secular. The addition of the reception afterwards was an added bonus for the two of them.

Being a small department, everyone was well aware of the fact that everyone knew each other, so Viktor and Yuri weren’t met with curious looks when they decided to sit next to each other. The knowing look from Yuri’s friends did cause him to roll his eyes as he watched them sit in another section of the auditorium. They chatted briefly and greeted their neighbors as they waited for the lecture to begin. Yuri had brought a notepad, in the hopes of recording some new ideas for paintings, but by the end of the lecture, he found himself faced with a nearly blank page.

The lecture started out well enough and Yuri’s eyes remained fixated on the visiting professor as he spoke, quick scribbles added to the top of the notepad. So focused was he on the lecture that he failed to notice Viktor placing his chin in his hand and then resting his elbow on the armrest that divided them, until he felt a tickling breeze upon his left ear that startled him. Yuri smothered the gasp that caught in his throat and was able to barely make out the sight of a smirking Viktor from the corner of his eye. Given that they had turned down the lights in the auditorium, Yuri was thankful for the fact that his blush wouldn’t be visible. He shook his head slightly before turning back to the lecture, but after a few minutes, he felt the same tickling sensation on his ear along with the sounds of a breathy sigh. Redirecting his gaze to his partner once again, Yuri was met with the same smirk and a slight shrug this time. He did his best to silently convey his mild frustration and he assumed Viktor understood when he watched him lean back in his seat in response.

Yuri gave a small sigh before going back to the lecturing professor. He was able to get a few more words scribbled out before Viktor decided to distract him once again. In a casual manner, Viktor draped his arm over the armrest. Yuri took note of how Viktor’s hand seemed to move closer to his knee and his heart raced at the thought of that, but he soon felt himself grow more frustrated and flustered when he realized that Viktor decided to leave his hand hovering instead. The tips of his fingertips would’ve been able to barely graze him. He could practically feel the heat of them through the fabric of his pants.

Fully turning his head this time, Yuri gave a frown that Viktor returned with an innocent look. In the hopes that Viktor decided to not go any further, Yuri tried once again to pay attention to the lecture. Some more time passed before he felt feather-like touches on his leg and turned sharply to face Viktor. This time, Viktor’s innocent look seemed truly genuine, which somehow only made Yuri more frustrated, knowing that it been his imagination. A few more minutes and the faint touches seemed to start again. This time, they drifted further up to his thigh causing Yuri’s hand to act on instinct and grab Viktor’s hand.

It was now Viktor’s turn to suppress a gasp and blush since he actually hadn’t been doing anything to Yuri. However, he wasn’t going to complain or pull away since Yuri seemed to have no intention of letting go as he laced their fingers together. Viktor’s original goal was only to tease Yuri slightly and really, this hadn’t been his intention, but as they sat there in the darkness taking in the lecture and the presence of the other, they both smiled contently knowing that soon enough, they’ll be able to do this in the light as well.

* * *

Final exams soon came and Yuri soon found himself attempting to form an essay on Fyodor Zubov and his influence on religious art within two hours with Viktor administering it. Since the formation of their relationship, Viktor had done a good job of distancing himself from Yuri within the classroom. Chris had thrown in his remarks about how Viktor couldn’t seem to stop smiling and staring at Yuri, but the two also knew that Chris was actively searching for these signs since he was aware of their relationship. But for the most part, they were able to maintain the same level of familiarity and professionalism that they had before they were formally together.

Today, however, Viktor seemed to do everything in his power to bring Yuri’s attention away from his work and onto him. Viktor knew that Yuri was watching him from out of the corners of his eyes as he wandered around the room. He knew he had gotten his attention when he purposely stepped in front of Yuri’s desk and made a show of taking off his suit jacket and heard a faint gasp. He wanted to laugh as Yuri bit his lip when Viktor slowly rolled up his shirt sleeves before dramatically running his fingers through his hair with a longing sigh. He made certain to lightly bump into Yuri’s desk every time he made his way around the classroom to ensure no cheating was occurring. Yuri knew he would forever be haunted by the moans and whines Vikor made as he stretched his arms and back.

With every action, Yuri grew more and more frustrated and he soon wore a scowling expression that only made Viktor want to laugh even more. Eventually, Viktor stopped to let Yuri focus on his exam some more, but once they reached a little past the halfway mark during the exam, Viktor was back with one last scheme for attention.

Yuri now had his guard down once again since Viktor had given him the time to bring his focus back to his exam. Yuri had a habit of writing reminders and notes for himself on his arm and Viktor was about to use that to his advantage as he made another lap around the room. Coming from the back of the room, Yuri was unable to see Viktor coming, but he certainly felt when one of Viktor’s fingers gently grazed his forearm to outline the ink on his skin. Viktor bit back a laugh as he watched Yuri nearly jump out of his seat and yell an expletive before dropping his pen at the fleeting caress. Finally realizing it was Viktor, Yuri gave him an anxious look as the professor kneeled down next to him.

“Oh my,” Viktor whispered into Yuri’s ear with mock concern. “What do we have here, Yuri?”

Yuri squirmed at the feeling of Viktor’s warm breath on his ear. He suddenly felt hyperaware of everything as Viktor began to trace the writing on his forearm once more. He gulped before answering.

“I-it’s my grocery list,” he finally managed to mutter.

Viktor hummed and nodded as he pretended to contemplate this. His fingers still fluttered along his arm as if he were try to memorize it.

“Oh. I see. Well, just wanted to make sure you weren’t cheating.”

Viktor gave the student a happy smile, but Yuri could see the mischievous glint residing in his eyes. He then gently patted Yuri’s arm before standing back up and walking away as if nothing had happened. Yuri sighed in relief when Viktor finally stopped his ministrations. He hadn’t realized how much his heart rate had picked up until then, but never had he been more relieved to be able to get back to an exam, even if his mind was now completely devoid of any useful information.

Viktor was still delighted about his effect on Yuri. But in Yuri’s opinion, he got what he deserved when Yuri refused to talk to or contact him until after he had finished all of his grading and with over 300 pages worth of essays to grade, Viktor was certainly not happy about that.

Yuri’s ultimatum got Viktor to finish his work though and with the first day of summer vacation came Viktor and Yuri’s reunion. Seeing Yuri’s smiling face on his doorstep and finally being able to pull him into a deep kiss and to wrap his arms around him had never felt more rewarding and worthwhile to Viktor. The day was hot and scorching, but its heat did not compare to the warmth they felt at the thought of them finally being able to be with each other, taking advantage of their blooming relationship. Viktor normally disliked vacation periods since it usually meant just him and Makkachin lazing about. He could never keep still for too long and he hated the idleness that came with being alone, but with Yuri around, Viktor knew he would come to love these times instead.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much to everyone for your patience and support! I know it sucks having to wait so long for chapter updates, but we're almost there! We're getting there and we will soon have more consistent updates soon! For now, just thank you so very much for patiently waiting for my slow-ass to write and thank you so very much for your great support! It really does mean a lot to me and you are all helping me get through these last few weeks of this semester. <3
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	17. Fine Art

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for staring. I thought you were a work of art. I came here wanting to see great art, but I never thought I'd see such a vision of loveliness. Too bad I can't touch the masterpieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm here! I'm back! Finally! Hurray!  
> The semester has officially ended, so we're back to getting more regular updates! Thank you so very much for your patience and support during all of this. Not much happens in this chapter, so yeah, but I'm back, so that's something. XP  
> I was actually going to post this tomorrow, but it's Eurovision day tomorrow and I knew I wouldn't have time, so enjoy this today!!
> 
> Special dedication to [olic-parric](https://olic-parric.tumblr.com/) on tumblr! Thank you for your endless support and for keeping me company on tumblr during this kind of, sort of, but not really hiatus! <3
> 
> Last time I updated, I mentioned that I had a fic for the [Shall We Skate!!! Exchange](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/shallweskateexchange/profile) coming out soon and it's finally here! So go and check out [_Small Talk_](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10422135), if you haven't already! :D
> 
> For now, enjoy!

Viktor and Yuri were both excited about being able to finally spend more time together, but had purposely ignored the fact that Yuri had a part-time job to help with loans as well. Yuko, his manager, had allowed him some time off after finals were over before returning since she understood his struggles well, which Yuri had then used to spend his time with Viktor and Makkachin, allowing them to grow closer and create more memories together.

Yuri had, in fact, told Viktor that he worked at a local art gallery during the summers, but Viktor had chosen to willfully ignore that information until he actually had to deal with it and that time had finally come. He knew that Yuri had to return to work, hence the reason why he felt the need to constantly be by Yuri’s side from the moment he woke up until the moment they both had to go to bed, but he constantly spoke and planned things as if they had all the time in the world, hoping that Yuri would forget about work.

Phichit had decided to go home for a week or so to visit his family before he had to return to his job at the local newspaper, so Viktor and Yuri were currently by themselves in Yuri and Phichit’s flat. Viktor was currently seated on their couch, tightly hugging one of the pillows with a pout on his face as we watched Yuri wander around looking for his things. The latter was mumbling softly as he tried to recall if he had everything that he needed.

“Are you sure you have to work today? Can’t you take a day off? The semester only just ended for you. Shouldn’t you take a break before you start working again? I don’t want you pushing yourself.”

“You know I can’t do that, Viktor,” Yuri sighed. He shook his head as he walked out of his bedroom while buttoning his shirt. He headed towards the coffee table and searched for his keys amongst the mess as Viktor continued to watch him.

“But are you  _ really  _ sure? You said your boss was nice and that she was your friend, right? Maybe she’ll give you another day off.”

Yuri turned to give Viktor a look that was met with broad grin. He shook his head slightly, which caused the pout to return to Viktor’s face. He rolled his eyes as Viktor turned away from him and buried his face into the pillow. He was fairly certain Yuko would’ve given him some more time off, but he wasn’t about to abuse her kindness like that.

Yuri couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of his boyfriend pouting like a petulant child. He moved from his place in front of the table to sit next to Viktor on the couch. Wrapping an arm around his boyfriend, Yuri pulled him into a one-armed hug and placed a kiss to his temple. Yuri smiled as he pulled away and caught sight of Viktor’s pout lessening.

“It’s going to be fine. I’ll be done by the afternoon. Okay?”

“Fine,” huffed Viktor dramatically. Yuri rolled his eyes at this before getting up from the couch and watched as Viktor did the same after setting down the pillow.

Viktor had volunteered to drive Yuri to work that day and the car ride there was filled with Viktor constantly asking if Yuri really had to go to work. Yuri remained patient as he answered his questions and simply chuckled at how Viktor was being. He didn’t care for being away from Viktor either, but was less vocal about it, in comparison to his partner.

The two of them finally parted with a kiss. Yuri reassured Viktor that he’d be done with work soon enough and Viktor would be able to come and get him. Viktor was still a bit pouty about it, but left Yuri to do what he needed to do and sought company with Makkachin instead, who he was certain was lonely without him as well.

Work was largely uneventful for Yuri. His job at the Ice Castle Art Gallery involved him sitting at the front desk, greeting guests, and answering any questions patrons would have, which the gallery seldom had anyway. Yuri would usually find himself bored by the end of the first hour since Yuko often had to work in the backroom, organizing and sorting through mountains of paperwork. However, he was kept distracted today by the various texts that Viktor sent of him and Makkachin lazing about his apartment.

Yuri soon found himself lounging about on Viktor’s couch with his head resting on Viktor's lap. Viktor was gently running his fingers through his hair and asking him about how his day went and what happened. Makkachin laid asleep in front of them and was snoring softly. Yuri didn’t think it was all that exciting for him to tell of how he had sat around and sorted thumbtacks, but Viktor somehow showed genuine interest in what he was saying and he couldn’t help but feel warmed by Viktor’s sweetness.

The conversation soon ended and they sat and enjoyed the presence of the other. They soon fell asleep before they could realize it and were only woken up when Makkachin decided that they had waited long enough for food, prompting them to find food for themselves as well.

After dinner, Viktor drove Yuri back home. Both of them thinking about how even though they hadn’t done anything exciting, the time they spent together hadn’t been a waste. They parted with a kiss again like they had in the morning, before retiring for the night. Yuri had work again the next day and had rejected Viktor’s offer to drive him once again. Viktor accepted the fact that he wouldn’t be driving Yuri, but that didn’t mean he didn’t have any plans to see his boyfriend since he knew Yuri would stop by after work.

* * *

Yuri was seated at his usual place in the art gallery. It was after lunchtime for him and the most exciting things he had done all day were straighten one of the pictures on one of the walls and Yuko telling him to carry in a delivery box from out back. Viktor had texted him during the morning, but had ceased since he had told Yuri that he had plans to go out with a friend, which Yuri was more than happy about.

He knew he wasn’t purposely holding Viktor back, but Yuri couldn’t help but occasionally feel as if he was. He knew Viktor had a life outside of him and that he obviously had a life outside of Viktor too. They both encouraged each other to enjoy other things in life besides each other, hence the reason why Yuri wasn’t worked up over Viktor’s whines the other day. Still, Yuri wouldn’t stop his worries from popping up sometimes.

He was currently texting Phichit a bored selfie and sending greetings to his best friend’s family when he heard the bell over the front door jingle, signaling a visitor. Without looking up, Yuri set his phone down and stood up, immediately falling into worker mode. The words fell out of his mouth automatically.

“Hello! Welcome to the Ice Castle A-”

Yuri stopped his words with a gasp. His eyes widened and he did a double take at who was standing in the doorway. He stared intently, but was broken from his daze at the sound of his name.

“Yuri! What a pleasant surprise!”

Yuri quickly turned his expression into a grin and waved shyly at the two people in front of him.

“Professor Nikiforov! Professor Okukawa! Oh. Hi! Uh, welcome to the Ice Castle Art Gallery! Um. Please let me know if you need anything or have any questions. Uh, yeah.”

He took in the sight of the pair in front of them as they smiled brightly. He awkwardly sat back down and pretended to search the desk for papers that didn’t exist. Yuri wasn’t unhappy to see Viktor here, but with Professor Okukawa around, he wasn’t entirely certain how he should be acting. He jumped slightly when he felt an arm around him and turned to find Professor Okukawa’s face next to his as she pulled him into a hug.

“Oh, come on, Yuri! No need to feel awkward and pull that professional crap on me. You and I have known each other for years.”

“Yeah, I know, but-”

“I also know about the two of you, so don’t worry.”

At this, Yuri turned to face Viktor who gave him a sheepish look before shrugging.

“I swear, she figured it out on her own. I didn’t say anything.”

Yuri rolled his eyes at this before Professor Okukawa pulled away.

“Like I said, don’t worry. I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks, professor.”

“Of course. Besides, you two deserve a bit of happiness.”

Viktor and Yuri smiled at her kindness before turning to look at each other in agreeance with her words. Since Minako now knew, it felt like a bit of weight had been lifted that they never knew existed. Both were lost in each other and Minako could see clearly that they needed a brief moment alone.

“Oh look!” exclaimed Minako dramatically. “A painting! With colors! All the way in one of the other rooms! I think I will go look at it intently and leave you two alone for a moment since Viktor seems to have a question.”

The couple laughed as Minako winked at them jokingly before wandering off. Once out of sight, Viktor immediately rested an elbow on the desk’s counter and placed his chin in his hand. He gave Yuri a seductive wink that made Yuri laugh and blush causing his heart to swell at the light sound.

“Hi there,” said Viktor once Yuri’s laughter subsided.

“Hi. So was this your plan all along? Was this why you didn’t put up a fight when I said I didn’t need a ride?”

“Noooo. Of course not.”

Yuri rolled his eyes at this before turning away. He couldn’t believe how much of a dork this man was.

“Really? I find that hard to believe.”

It was now Viktor’s turn to laugh. He looked away awkwardly after he was done before speaking quietly.

“Actually, it really wasn’t my intention. Minako and I met up at a café and we were just going to chat, until she said something about finding a gift for a friend of her’s. Before I knew it, she brought me here. I’m sorry, Yuri. I didn’t mean to bother you.”

Yuri could see that Viktor was telling the truth and reached out to hold one of his hands. Viktor turned back to face Yuri and was met with a soft smile.

“It’s okay. I’m happy to see you here.”

Viktor gave him a smile of his own before placing a kiss on Yuri’s hand, causing him to blush profusely. Although no one was really around to witness it, public displays of affection were still a foreign thing for the two of them since they had just spent the last month or so keeping their relationship hidden from the world. The chances of being caught were lower now that they weren’t actually at school, but the couple was still wary about being caught while out and about.

Pulling away, Yuri watched as Viktor rejoined Minako in the other room, a knowing look on her face. Minako came up with random questions to ask Yuri to keep him and Viktor together as they toured the art gallery. She soon realized that neither of them were paying attention when Yuri had answered her question about the price of a painting with the name of the artist and Viktor had commented on the usage of paint in a photograph. Minako only rolled her eyes at this and muttered something about “lovesick fools” before wandering away.

Viktor and Minako soon left to allow Yuri to continue his work. Few words were spoken as they left, but Yuri knew he would see Viktor later that evening as well. When they were reunited back at Viktor’s place, no words were needed then either. Both sat enjoying the other’s company as they always have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for all of your support and patience!! It is greatly appreciated and I'm so excited about being able to update more regularly for you all!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	18. Le Passé et L'Avenir

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Le temps dont nous disposons chaque jour est élastique; les passions que nous ressentons le dilatent, celles que nous inspirons le rétrécissent et l'habitude le remplit.
> 
> On ne reçoit pas la sagesse, il faut la découvrir soi-même après un trajet que personne ne peut faire pour nous, ne peut nous épargner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this earlier, but it took longer than expected and I'm sorry! However, this is a long chapter, so yay! (I think it's my longest chapter actually?)
> 
> Anyway, a lot happens in this chapter and it might be a bit heavy? I'm not too sure, but things happen and things are revealed so yeah.
> 
> Yeah. I hope you enjoy though! If there are any mistakes, tell me. I don't have a beta, so it's just me. XP

The first month and a half of summer was a whirlwind dream for Viktor and Yuri. The couple remained by each other’s side every moment that they could, each filled with laughter and love. They were both still wary of getting caught together while out and about, but the freedom of summer buried those feelings quickly, allowing them to grow more confident in their affection and touches. They regularly shared their time between each other’s apartments after Phichit and Yuri’s other friends made it clear that they were in full support of their relationship. They all got a good laugh when Phichit threw a party the first time Viktor came to visit instead of the other way around.

Both slowly fell more and more in love with the other, confirming their feelings and reminding them that this risk was worth it. Yuri had been in relationships before, but nothing like this. Viktor helped Yuri see himself. It was always difficult for Yuri to fully see his own self-worth due to his anxiety. When he made the decision to go to school for art, although he was certain that this was his passion and what he wanted to do with life, Yuri was constantly plagued by doubt and the worry that he wouldn’t be good enough, wouldn’t be able to do what he loved. But when Viktor came, not only did he remind Yuri of why he chose to major in art, but he taught Yuri that his best was more than enough. The university had one of the best art departments in the country, producing many other incredible artists, and with so much greatness surrounding him, Yuri couldn’t help but drown in insecurities. He was graduating soon too and the prospects of the future worried him greatly. As their relationship grew, Yuri became better at voicing these fears to Viktor and at first, he hated how he had expected Viktor to give him the usual speech about how he had no reason to worry and that he would be fine the future, but it never came. He never tried to fix Yuri’s anxiety, and instead remained by his side, listening patiently, telling him that he would be there. Viktor knew he couldn’t magically cure Yuri’s anxiety, so he did his best to support him instead, reminding him of how far he had come and how hard he had worked, telling him that it was okay to be worried.

The future was a scary thought for Yuri as well. To be honest, he had nothing really planned after this. He thought maybe he could continue working at the Ice Castle Art Gallery, but he also knew that couldn’t be his plan forever. He worried about his future with Viktor as well. They’ve briefly mentioned that after graduation, they’d finally be able to be open with their relationship. No more having to hide and no more having to look over their shoulders for people. They’d be able to fully be together. Their relationship now was wonderful and Yuri wanted to believe that they would only grow from there, but anxiety continued to pester at him. What if things didn’t work out between the two of them? Yuri had always wondered why someone like Viktor would be with someone like him. Viktor did his best to remind Yuri of why he loved him every chance that he could, but anxiety was a powerful thing. Viktor had always been vastly out of Yuri’s league and there were days where it felt as if he was only a placeholder until someone who was actually worthy of Viktor came along to replace him and that scared him greatly. The thought of losing Viktor as a friend was already a terrifying thought before, but now that they were closer, it was an even bigger concern in Yuri’s mind. He wondered if maybe Viktor would be more likely to stay if he was a better artist or if he got a better job or if he could actually figure out his damn future, but the more he thought about it, the heavier it felt, the more Yuri wanted to simply lie down and cease to exist.

“Excuse me.”

“What?!”

Yuri jumped and wildly looked around, trying to figure out where he was and what he was doing. He took in the sight of a desk and various canvases and came to the conclusion that he was currently at work. Looking up, he finally realized that the voice that called out to him was from the well-dressed older gentleman who Yuri assumed had just walked in.

“Hello! Oh my goodness. I’m so sorry about that. Um. Welcome to the Ice Castle Art Gallery! Feel free to look around and if you happen to have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”

Yuri gave the man an apologetic smile, hoping that he wouldn’t get too angry at Yuri for blanking out for a minute there. He anxiously awaited for man to yell at him, but was instead met with deep laughter instead. Yuri’s expression transformed into one of confusion as the man continued to genuinely laugh. The older man’s laughter soon came to a stop and he began to speak, giving Yuri a happy smile.

“Oh, my dear boy, it’s alright. No need to apologize now,” declared the man in a deep, loud voice.

Yuri could only nod awkwardly as the man spoke. Words were lost on him now as he stared at the man curiously. He took in the portly man’s well-tailored three-piece suit and perfectly knotted tie. His hair and full beard were peppered and when paired with the wrinkles on his skin, showed his age and experience. He had a kind look in his eyes, but from the way he stood and held himself, Yuri knew the man was one of importance. The man noticed Yuri’s expression and gave him a gentle grin. He must have noticed how loud he was being for when he spoke again, it was much quieter than before.

“But I do have a question for you, if that’s alright.”

“O-of course! What can I help you with, sir?” Yuri asked going back into work mode. The man seemed to find this amusing and shook his head slightly.

“No need to be formal with me, dear boy. Just William is fine.”

The man seemed to remember something and quickly reached into his pocket to pull out a business card. He promptly held it out to Yuri who read over it. His eyes widened in shock when he realized who was standing before him.

“Oh my god. You’re William Taylor Hopkins? The William Taylor Hopkins who owns Voyageons, the best restaurant in town with a three-month reservation list? You’re  _ that _ William Taylor Hopkins?! Holy shit. I mean-”

Yuri quickly tried to school his expression and gasped at the expletive, realizing that he was being rude. William laughed again at Yuri’s enthusiasm and waved a hand dismissively. 

“I just told you. There’s no need to worry. Besides, I came here for you anyway.”

“F-for me?”

Yuri pointed to himself and looked around frantically. Maybe William was talking to someone else. It didn’t really hit Yuri that William was actually referring to him until he pointed directly at him and nodded.

“Yes! I came here for you! I mean, you are Yuri Katsuki, aren’t you?”

“Y-yes! Yes, I am! I’m Y-yuri Katsuki! How, um, how do you know who I am?”

William seemed to have an endless supply of smiles and laughter because that seemed to be his reaction to everything Yuri was saying and doing.

“I came here today because I want you to create a few new pieces for my restaurant.”

“Y-you do?!”

“Absolutely! I saw your piece at the student art exhibit earlier this year. Your piece, what was it? ‘Haut en couleur’? Beautiful! Absolutely loved it! All of the colors and the hands and the feelings it invoked! Truly a masterpiece!” exclaimed William.

“And the fact that you gave it a French name certainly helped too,” he added with a wink causing Yuri to look away shyly.

“Oh my god. I, uh, thank you! Thank you so very much! I can’t believe this at all. Oh my god.”

“Oh, well, you better believe it, Yuri, because I’m dead serious about my offer. After I saw your piece, I tried to find you, but I had to leave to deal with some things at the restaurant and you had left already as well. One of your professors, who was it? Mitsuko?”

“Minako?”

“Yes! That was her name! She mentioned that she knew you and offered to talk to you for me, but I wanted to speak to you about this in person and told her not to mention this. She then told me you worked here. I didn’t mean to disturb you during work, but I had some spare time today and decided to take a chance since you aren’t too far from the restaurant.”

“Oh my god. I still can’t believe this is happening.”

“It is, Yuri, it is,” chuckled William.

“I mean, I just, I don’t know what to say,” said Yuri shaking his head. Moments ago he had been trying to figure out what do with his future and here it came on a silver platter for him. This was a lot to take in and Yuri suddenly found it hard to breathe. William noticed the suddenly anxiety in Yuri’s expression and gave him an understanding look.

“Yuri,” spoke William softly, “I know this is very sudden for you, but I’m not expecting an answer now.”

“Y-you’re not?”

William chuckled again and shook his head.

“No, my boy. I know this is a big deal for you and will require some time for you to think on this some more. We won’t be changing out the current artwork just yet, but it’s always good to have someone else planned for the future, hence the reason why I’ve come to you now. But really, Yuri, I’m a fan of your work. You’ve got a lot of talent, so you contact me whenever you’re ready and I’ll put your pieces up. Honestly, I’m looking to keep you around for a couple of years, so there’s no need to rush into making a decision just yet.”

“Really?”

“Really, Yuri,” nodded William.  He then pointed to the business card he had given Yuri earlier. “Call, email, show up at my house in the middle of the night. I don’t care. Whenever you’re ready, let me know and we’ll talk.”

Yuri looked down at the card again, reading over the printed letters and golden ornate design. William took note of the time on his watch and he frowned slight.

“Damn. Looks like I’ve got to get back to the restaurant,” he said as he began to walk away. “I hope to speak to you again someday, Yuri. Feel free to stop by the restaurant whenever you want! No need for a reservation. Just tell the host who you are and they’ll know.”

William had reached his hand on the door when Yuri stood up and called for him.

“Wait! Mr. Hopkins!”

William turned and raised an eyebrow at this. He didn’t expect an answer this soon.

“Why me? Why did you pick me? There were plenty of other great pieces at the student exhibit. Why not one of the other students?”

William pondered this for a moment before shrugging and simply responded with two words: “Gut feeling.”

Yuri made a confused expression again that made William laugh before actually leaving this time.

“I’ll see you around, Yuri, and it’s William! Not Mr. Hopkins!”

It was now Yuri’s turn to laugh and shake his head at the older man. That was certainly an interesting encounter.

* * *

The rest of work carried on like usual for Yuri. Viktor had come by to pick him up since he had driven him there this morning and the two went back to Viktor’s to pass the rest of the day together. The doubts from before William showed up came to mind and Yuri continued to contemplate these thoughts as he laid on Viktor’s couch with his head in Viktor’s lap. He glanced up to see him lost in thought as well as he unconsciously ran his fingers through Yuri’s hair. He technically had some kind of plans for the future now because of William. Anyone else would’ve leapt at this opportunity, but Yuri was hesitant. What if William realizes that he made a mistake? What would Yuri do then? What if this doesn’t work out? Why is life after graduation so scary? What happens if you don’t make it? What do you do?

Yuri failed to notice that Viktor’s fingers had stopped moving until he felt someone poke at his forehead. Viktor laughed as Yuri’s face scrunched up.

“You’re going to get wrinkles if you keep frowning like that.”

Yuri rolled his eyes at this and gave Viktor a mock exasperated look. Viktor only leaned down to give him a kiss before continuing his previous actions. A look of concern marked his face.

“But really though, are you okay, Yuri? Do you need me to do anything?”

Yuri frowned.

“No. I’m fine. It’s just,” he sighed, “I was just thinking about things.”

“What kind of things, dear?” asked Viktor.

“The future.”

“That’s a lot to think about.”

“I know,” whispered Yuri. “I know.”

Viktor nodded, waiting for Yuri to speak and allowing him to organize his thoughts.

“What did you do after college, Viktor?”

The question was a simple one in Yuri’s mind, but from the way Viktor stiffened and the hand running through his hair froze, Yuri realized that it was far from that. He looked up at Viktor’s face and saw a mixture of emotions running across it.

“I mean, you don’t have to tell me. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry. I was just curious because I’m going to graduate next year and I’m ready, but I’m not ready and there’s just a lot to think about it and I’m scared and I’m sorry. I’m just worried. I didn’t mean to ramble like this again. I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer. It’s okay. I’m s-”

“Shhh. It’s okay, Yuri. It’s okay. It was just unexpected and there’s a lot to talk about, so give me a moment.”

Yuri hummed softly and nodded. He looked up at Viktor with concern, but he only gave him a wink in response. Yuri reached up to gently pull Viktor’s hand down, so he could hold it more easily. After some more time spent in silence, Viktor began his story.

“Um, so I graduated with an art history degree and I had no idea what I was going to do. I mean, art history isn’t exactly high on the list of degrees that people want, so that was expected. My parents wanted me to continue and get my PhD or something since I was the first in family to graduate, but I couldn’t do that after spending four years of my life studying. Instead, I left our home in Russia and I wandered around Europe. Just me and a backpack. Trying to figure out what I wanted to do in life.”

Viktor paused to look down at Yuri who was enraptured by this story so far.

“I worked a bunch of random odd jobs throughout Europe. Never stayed in one city for two long. Probably not more than three weeks or so. Met a lot of interesting people. Got arrested at some point too.”

“You what?!”

“Oh. Uh. Don’t worry about that. It wasn’t my fault, so yeah,” said Viktor dismissively, desperate to change the topic.

“Viktor.”

“I’ll tell you some other time. Okay?”

Yuri pouted at this, but nodded, allowing Viktor to continue.

“I handed out newspapers. Worked at a bookstore. Taught Russian for a bit. I was an ice skating instructor for some time too, so remind me to take you ice skating at some point.”

“I never knew you could ice skate. Sounds like fun.”

Viktor chuckled at this before giving Yuri a sheepish smile.

“Well, that was an interesting experience since I didn’t actually know how to ice skate.”

“You didn’t? How did you get the job then?”

“Well...they heard my accent and assumed that I knew. I was young and needed a job, so I said yes.”

Yuri laughed at this and Viktor did as well. When their laughter died down, Yuri gave Viktor a smile.

“You’re still young, ya know?”

Viktor scoffed at this before continuing.

“Anyway, this went on for about a year, until my mother called me back home for my sister’s wedding. I had spent a year wandering around, so I guess seeing her happy and about to settle down made me wonder if that’s what I wanted too. So that’s when I decided to go back and get my master’s degree.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister.”

Viktor’s expression grew sad.

“Yeah. She’s younger than me. I think her daughter is one now. Her name is Alisa, I believe.”

“You don’t sound very close to her,” said Yuri cautiously.

“Not really. I mean,” he sighed, “she’s my sister and I love her, but I never really felt like I belonged in the family, to be honest. I was always too rebellious. It was hard for me to stay still, so my sister was always closer to my parents than I was. It’s probably why I left, to be honest.”

Yuri watched as Viktor bit his lip and his expression grew tense. He felt how Viktor’s grip on his hand suddenly tightened and winced slightly.

“What happened next, Viktor?” whispered Yuri, uncertain if his boyfriend actually heard.

“Oh. Um. After the wedding, I left and came to this country. I got my master’s and was shortly offered a job here.”

“Well, that’s good.”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is and do you know why, Yuri?”

“Why?”

Viktor looked down and brushed away some strands that were blocking Yuri’s eyes.

“Because I got to meet you. While I was getting my master’s, I thought maybe I was making the wrong choice again, like I had with Europe. Maybe I hadn’t found what I really wanted just yet. But I pushed through and I figured it would be okay. When I got the job here, I was just happy to have a stable income, but then I met you and the wonderful people here and I realized that yeah, I had no clue what I was doing and I still have no clue what I’m doing and that’s really scary, but somehow it all worked out. Somehow, this person who aimlessly sprinted through Europe with no goal and only went back to school to get his master’s because he had nothing better to do with no one else helping him found a happy home for himself with friends and a dog and a boyfriend who is far too good to him. So the point I’m trying to make, Yuri, is that it’s okay to not know what you’re going to do. You’ll find your way sooner or later. There’s no need to rush. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Viktor and Yuri gave each other soft grins as they stared at each other. Yuri then pulled Viktor down to give him a kiss, thanking him for sharing this part of his life and reminding him that he wasn’t lost and alone in the world. Viktor understood immediately what Yuri was telling him in the kiss and gave his thanks tenfold. The future was uncertain for the both of them, but that’s okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for your kindness and support! It will always be appreciated!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	19. Now You Don't

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh, if I could go back in time  
> When you only held me in my mind  
> Just a longing gone without a trace  
> Oh, I wish I'd never ever seen your face  
> I wish you were the one  
> Wish you were the one that got away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry.  
> When I started writing this story, I didn't plan on this happening, but as this story grew, I knew I would have to and I warned you all. I tried to put it off for as long as possible because I didn't want to have to face this and all of the emotions that came with it either, but I couldn't do that forever. I knew it would happen sooner or later, but I'm still sorry.

More summer memories were made between Viktor and Yuri: walks in the park, restaurant dates, movie nights, day trips to nearby cities, late nights spent together. The rest of summer passed quicker than expected for them and they soon found themselves nearing the start of the new school year and Yuri’s last. Preparation for the new year began to start up and the couple found themselves slowly spending less and less time together. About a fortnight before the start of the semester, Yuri received a text from Viktor stating that he wouldn’t have time to talk to or see Yuri until after the semester started and that he would contact Yuri when he got his affairs in order. There was much work and preparation to be done and Yuri understood completely since he had his own things to sort out and respected Viktor’s request to be left alone. It was a bit lonely for Yuri since they had grown so close and he had grown use to the man’s constant presence in his life, but he also knew they would see each other soon enough and calmly waited for Viktor to contact him.

* * *

 

The day that Viktor Nikiforov disappeared from Yuri Katsuki's life, he thought it was simply bad timing. The duo hadn't spoken to each other in about a fortnight because of the start of the new year, so while Yuri hoped to at least exchange passing greetings on the first day of classes, he wasn't too stressed when he saw no sign of him on campus. Yuri had no concerns about his whereabouts until a brief conversation on the second day of classes.

Professor Celestino Cialdini had been Yuri and Phichit’s professor during their freshman year. It was in his drawing class that the two met and their friendship started. Since the art department was small, he remained close to his former students and saw them in passing frequently. The two of them would occasionally stop by to discuss various happenings with him as well and he enjoyed their company greatly. Therefore, it wasn’t unusual for him to call out to the shyer of the two as he waited outside a classroom, tapping away at whatever it was on his phone.

“Yuri! Good to see you! How was your summer?” exclaimed Professor Cialdini as he approached him. A wide smile adorned his face.

Yuri looked up when he recognized the voice and returned it with a warm smile.

"Professor Cialdini," said Yuri. "It’s good to see you too. I hope you're doing alright."

"Of course! Of course!" replied the professor with a chuckle. "I see that you're doing well also."

Yuri hummed in agreement and gave a small nod at this as Professor Cialdini continued.

"You know, it's always wonderful to see you, Yuri. I've got to go get ready for my next class now, but remember you can always stop by, okay?"

"Of course. I'll probably stop by to say hi to Professor Nikiforov first and then stop by."

With those words, Professor Cialdini's face dropped and Yuri noticed immediately. Had he said something wrong?

"Yuri, did you forget?" His face showed clear lines of concern that mixed with Yuri's confusion.

"Forget?" Yuri asked cautiously. He watched as Professor Cialdini's face grew confused as well before responding to the question.

"Yuri, Professor Nikiforov left."

Yuri failed to remember much after his short reunion with Professor Cialdini. The kind professor had probably added something afterwards as well, but Yuri failed to remember it and to be honest, Yuri was certain that if it had been important, if it had been something relating to Viktor, he would've remembered. But the rest of the day was a blur. He knew that he had gone to class and had gotten lunch and he probably greeted a few friends in passing as well, but the details of the day had been replaced by Viktor and what could have happened to him. Yuri soon found himself on his couch wondering what Professor Cialdini had meant.

What did he mean by that? Did he mean he left the world? The school?

Yuri's heart rate picked up again along with his breathing. His anxiety certainly wasn't on his side as his mind went through various scenarios that could've happened.

Kidnapping?  
Murder?   
Car accident?   
Sold for organs?

The list was endless and overly ridiculous, but Yuri was concerned nonetheless. One of his closest friends and boyfriend had disappeared without a trace and it seemed as if he was the only one that was concerned about what had happened.

Looking at his watch, Yuri realized that he needed some answers and made his way back to Professor Cialdini’s office to hopefully find answers. However, the meeting was met with dead ends.

* * *

 

"Professor Cialdini, what did you mean this morning? What did you mean when you said Professor Nikiforov left?"

Celestino's face saddened as he gently put down the paper he had been looking over and took off his glasses. Yuri watched as he wrung his hands and his eyes darted throughout the room as if searching for how to properly answer the question.

"Well," he said with a sigh. "I'm not sure."

Yuri's silenced pushed him to continue.

"Before school started, we all had a staff meeting. Dr. Montgomery, the head of the department, told us that he had left and that was it. No details on why or how or what or if he'd even return. We thought it was odd, yes, but we all thought he had his reasons for not wanting us to know. He’s still listed as a professor though. We all thought that he had told you since it’s common knowledge that you two are close. I mean, Viktor was always raving about how he had this one student who was always so enthusiastic and that made him want to be a better professor. Minako and I knew it was you from the beginning. But anyway, we all thought that maybe you would be able to give us some answers." He chuckled slightly. "Imagine my surprise when you didn't even know that he had left. Looking back now, I don't even think Dr. Montgomery knows what happened either."

Celestino paused to look at the student sitting in front of him. Yuri's face betrayed nothing, but from the way he was fidgeting with the edge of his shirt, Celestino knew the young student was worried and disheartened by the lack of answers.

"Yuri, I'm sorry."

"No. There's no need to apologize, Professor Celestino," replied Yuri with a shake of his head and a forced smile. "It's not your fault. You've been really helpful. Really. Thank you for everything."

Celestino watched as Yuri quickly got up, made an excuse about having homework to do already, and then practically run out of his office before Celestino could get anymore words out. He sighed as he leaned back in his chair and rubbed at his temples.

"I hope you're alright, Viktor. For his sake," whispered Celestino.

* * *

 

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Yuri hadn't realized that he driven over to Viktor's apartment until he heard his fist knocking at his front door. No sounds came from inside though. His forehead wrinkled at this as he bent over to reach for the spare key that he knew resided beneath the doormat from his time watching over Makkachin. The spare was quickly slipped in and turned. His hand rested on the doorknob as he let out a breath to calm himself. The door creaked open and the wrinkles on Yuri's face grew deeper.

"Viktor?"

No one responded as Yuri stepped into the apartment and set his keys upon the side table.

“Viktor? Makkachin? Hello?”

Everything was in its place, with no signs of unusual disorder. He called out once again and began to weave through the rooms in search of his absent friend or his dog. Finding no sign of him, it suddenly felt a bit hard to breathe as his mind ran through various potential scenarios again. Before too much panic arose, he spotted a slightly crinkled note resting on the kitchen counter with Viktor's familiar chicken scratch. Yuri gasped and grabbed for it as if it were a lifeline, his eyes frantically read through the writing.

> Yuri,  
>  The flat has been paid for   
>  Feel free to move in   
>  Don’t come after me   
>  Don’t worry about me   
>  I’m sorry   
> VN

The panic within Yuri came back tenfold as he read the note over and over again, unable to fathom and accept the ink on the paper. An unbearable weight laid on his chest and the room began to shrink. His legs gave out shortly after and he soon found himself on the kitchen floor. Yuri didn’t know how long he remained there, unthinking, unfeeling, but it was long enough for Phichit to feel the need to call and check on his well being, and not just text. Still difficult to breathe and shaking, he quickly sent back a message telling his best friend he was alright and that he’d be home some time tomorrow. The rest of the night was spent trying to accept the truth. The shaking never stopped and Yuri blamed it on the chill of the floor, even though he knew that wasn’t the reason why.

* * *

 

Minako Okukawa was Yuri’s painting professor and after Viktor, was the professor he was closest to. Through her, Yuri found the early sparks of his love and enthusiasm for art and painting. She had watched him change and grow throughout their years together, and had come to know him extremely well, even considering him to be her adoptive child of some sort. Therefore, when Yuri showed up with a blank expression and quietly sat down in her office early in the morning, she knew something was bothering him and let him speak when he was ready

With the exception of Minako typing away, the office was completely silent. Minako continued to work on things, while she let her unofficial child take his time. Minako was well aware of the fact that something was bothering Yuri, but Minako knew not to push him and let him speak when he felt comfortable, watching him carefully from the corner of her eye. When Yuri did speak, Minako wasn't expecting Yuri to say what he did.

"Viktor left."

Minako's fingers froze and her forehead wrinkled in confusion, then to concern. The realization and the weight of situation suddenly hit her. She paused before turning her head to face Yuri. Her hands clenched into fists before responding.

"I know."

Minako wondered if Yuri had heard her whispered words until he barely nodded. He frowned a bit more in confusion at Minako’s words and she turned to fully face him. She took note of how his hands tugged at the edge of his shirt, a clear sign of his worry and discomfort that was now reflected on her face as well.

“Do you know what happened?”

“No,” whispered Minako. “Do you?”

"No. I don't know.” Yuri shook his head and turned away. “I didn’t know at all.”

Minako watched as Yuri continued to stare blankly, eyes unfocused and dazed. Anyone could’ve mistaken Yuri’s reaction as uncaring, but Minako saw through it all, saw the way his lip trembled slightly, saw the way he tried to hide the fact that he had taken a breath to calm himself, saw the way he tried to keep the pain at bay. They remained silent with Yuri lost in thought and Minako watching with worry. Yuri glanced down at his watch and sighed when he realized the time.

“I think you should go home and rest for a bit, Yuri. I know you hate missing class so early in the semester, but I think it’s for the best. Go home. I’ll tell your professors you were working with me or something.”

Minako expected Yuri to be stubborn and protest, but he only nodded before getting up, further deepening the frown on her face. Getting up as well, she pulled Yuri into her arms for a hug. Her heart ached as he clutched at her tightly and buried his face into her neck. As she watched him leave, Minako let out a sigh before slumping back into her chair. The first class of the day hadn’t even started yet and she was already ready for a strong drink.

* * *

 

Yuri went home and sat on the couch. He remained unmoving, trying to absorb everything that had happened, everything that he learned, but he couldn’t seem to accept it, wouldn’t accept it. Months of friendship and love all gone within a short of amount of time and he couldn’t accept that it actually happened. Had it all been a dream? A lie? An illusion? He was numb to everything around him, only wanting to lay down and never wake, letting eternity consume him and rid him of this ache. Somehow, he felt as if he knew this would happen, but now that it had, he refused to accept any of it.

Yuri lost his sense of time as he refused to come back to reality, until Phichit came home and found him staring at the turned-off television. He knew something was wrong immediately. Sitting down next to him, Phichit gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Yuri jumped slightly before realizing it was his best friend. He then immediately latched himself onto Phichit’s side who wrapped his arms around him immediately. Countless cries, like dead letters sent, soon came afterwards, soaking Phichit’s neck and shirt, but he didn’t care. He only pulled his best friend in tighter, encouraging him to let out all that he had been holding in as he rubbed soothing circles on his back. Yuri didn’t say any words as he cried until he fell asleep due to exhaustion, but Phichit heard Yuri loudly and clearly.

Viktor Nikiforov is gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your support! I'm sorry about this chapter. This was just as hard for me to write as it was for you to read and I thank you for dealing with me. We'll get a happy ending. I promise.
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com)


	20. New Dawn, New Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am the one thing in life I can control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhhh!!!! I'm so sorry about the last chapter, everyone! I really am! It was difficult for me to have to write through as well. This chapter doesn't start out happily either and it was also incredibly difficult to write. Things will get a bit heavy again, but we have a light in the distance and we're going to be okay. I promise. We're all going to be okay.

The sun had risen when Yuri awoke from his slumber the next morning. However, he felt the fell of dark, not day as he made his way out of bed, body dragging and heavy. He would have nearly forgotten all that had happened yesterday, if it weren’t for the tear stains that clung to his cheek and the sting in his eyes. The memories of everything came back and he felt his chest tighten and his breathing becoming shallow as tears threatened to fall again. Yuri thought he would have run out of tears by now.

Not wanting to, Yuri still made his way into the bathroom to take a morning shower. Water was meant to cleanse and though it did wash much away, his eyes still stung as his tears mixed with the water. He remained beneath the water for who knows how long. Yuri didn’t want to leave, but he also didn’t want to run up the water bill.

He soon got himself ready for classes and walked out into the living room and kitchen. Phichit was surprised to see his best friend up, but made no comment on it. He knew the sudden happening was greatly affecting Yuri and that he was dealing with it in his own way as he filled his backpack full of snacks and grabbed even more to eat on his way to class. He watched silently as his friend looked down at his watch and gather his things before giving Phichit a small wave, to which Phichit frowned and finally broke the silence.

“Yuri, are you sure it’s okay for you to go to class? Maybe you should stay home again. I’m sure Professor Okukawa could cover for you or I could do it, if you want.”

Yuri shook his head, which caused Phichit’s frown to deepen. He knew how stubborn his best friend could be and was unhappy to see him push himself in this state. Yuri’s eyes were still puffy and red. An eternal frown seemed to be etched into his expression and his eyes had lost their light.

“I know you don’t want to miss class, but it’s okay to take an extra day off. A lot just happened and it’s okay-”

“It’s fine, Phichit,” interrupted Yuri. “I’ll be okay.”

“But Yuri-”

“I said it’s fine, Phichit!” snapped Yuri. He turned back to see his friend jump and realized what he had done. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. It’s fine though, Phichit. I’ll be fine.”

Yuri quickly got his things again and left before Phichit could say anything else in response. He assumed Yuri hadn’t meant to slam it slightly either. Phichit gave a sigh before reaching for his phone and continuing with the rest of his day, constantly worried about his friend’s well-being.

* * *

Yuri didn’t actually know where he was going after he left the apartment. It was still too early to actually go to classes, but he needed to do something besides lay around the house and his feet somehow brought him to school. Despite it being so early, Yuri wasn’t the only student on campus and saw a few others milling about, heading to early morning classes, or finding places to study already. It was only the first week of school and he could already see signs of sleep deprivation within the student population, himself included.

He soon found himself in the painting studio and since his first class was in the art building, he decided to remain there anyway. For the first time in his life, Yuri didn’t come here to paint though. Instead, he settled himself in one of the back corners and sat leaned against the wall. His backpack beside him for easy access, so he could mindlessly eat all of the food he had packed this morning.

He was halfway through eating his third candy bar when he heard someone entering the room. He assumed it was Professor Okukawa and didn’t bother looking up since he knew she didn’t mind him hanging out in there. Instead, Yuri jumped slightly when someone else’s backpack landed on the ground near him and someone settled themselves next to him. Candy bar halfway in his mouth, Yuri turned to face the person with a confused expression and was met with a smiling Chris instead. He waved and winked in response, to which Yuri only stared and turned away before continuing to eat. Chris’s smile faltered slightly.

“Morning, Yuri!” sang Chris. “How are you doing today?”

Yuri paused in his eating and stared blankly off again. Chris could see how his friend was hesitant to answer the question and watched as he fidgeted like usual. The question was meant to be a general greeting, but he could see how Yuri’s eyes seem to gloss over a bit more and how his mouth twisted uncomfortable as he searched through his thoughts for the right answer to give. Chris finally decided to cut in before things got worse.

“Hey,” whispered Chris as he placed a hand on Yuri’s shoulder. “Sorry about that. Phichit texted all of us this morning. He didn’t give any details, but we know it’s related to... _ him _ , so if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. But we’re all here if you need anything.”

Yuri sighed and nodded at this. He turned and did his best to give Chris a small smile to indicate his appreciation. Chris returned it with a smile of his own and fully wrapped his arm around Yuri’s shoulders, giving him a tight one-armed hugged. This time, Yuri’s small smile was more genuine and he silently thanked Chris for being so understanding.

Yuri made a confused expression when Chris suddenly reached across him to reach for something in Yuri’s bag. He saw Chris pull out his phone and quickly enter in his passcode, tapping away in search of something. Yuri’s expression even more confused at this, to which Chris only smirked and winked in response.

“Now that that’s out of the way, let’s see if we have any classes together!”

“Wait a minute. Chris! What the hell?! How do you know my passcode?! Chris, stop!”

Yuri attempted to get some answers and his phone back from Chris, but was met with nothing until Chris was satisfied with his results. They spent the rest of their time chatting about upcoming courses and Chris was more than happy to help Yuri distract himself. He took note of how the empty expression he had earlier was gradually lifting, but melancholy was still hidden behind his eyes. It would take some time for Yuri to heal from whatever had happened, but Chris knew Yuri had a lot of people supporting him and that Yuri was one of the strongest people that he knew, and hopefully, that would be enough.

* * *

After some time, Chris and Yuri had to depart for classes and bid each other farewell. Chris had a class on the other side of campus, but would see Yuri later, while Yuri remained in the art building. Now alone, Yuri was left with his thoughts and they were quickly bringing him down again.

Being in the art building didn’t help much either. It was unavoidable that Yuri would have to come back to the art building since he  _ is  _ an art major. Usually, coming to art building was like coming home for Yuri. If he wasn’t at home, he was here, working, relaxing, and being. The building was the same as it has always been and Yuri could see that, but with Viktor gone, the place seemed...empty, hollow, incomplete. The warmth that filled Yuri when he came here had been stolen away and replaced with an uncomfortable chill. Yuri recalled passing conversations in the hallways, bright eyes at the sight of the other, faint touches as they made their way to class, warm smiles filled with love, and promises to see each other later. It made Yuri’s heart ache again as he walked around the familiar space, knowing that he would most likely never experience that again.

Living seemed difficult now. The world lacked meaning and Yuri had lost his way. He was a functioning human being and had been fine before Viktor came into his life, but now that Viktor was gone from it, Yuri wondered about what he was supposed to do now. Day after day, he wanted to lay down and cease to exist, leave everything behind for a bit, but knew it was impossible. He was aware of the fact that it probably wasn’t healthy, but Yuri did his best to push forward and push back these feelings, squashing them further and further down. He reminded himself that he had his time to cry and grieve yesterday. It was time to move on now, move forward. That’s what he kept telling himself, at least. In truth, Yuri wasn’t certain he would ever be okay. He was doing his best to smile and continue. It’s all in the past now, Yuri reminded himself. You’ll be okay. Move on. You’ll be fine.

But it meant nothing and it did nothing. No matter how many times Yuri kept telling himself these things, no matter how many times others told him these things, nothing would change. At the end of the day, Yuri was still plagued by thoughts of a man that might have loved him in the same way that he loved him, but will never know because he’s gone to Yuri did not know where. He left leaving everything and nothing behind. Yuri has not tried and he knew he would not try to actively seek him out. This made him believe that could move on and leave him in the same way that Viktor left, but he lingers in everything. Yuri couldn’t remove him and it left him sighing. It made Yuri guilty because no matter what he did, no matter what anyone said, he is taunted by his memory. This emptiness within him would remain and remain it did.

Yuri had brief moments of happiness as he spent time with his friends and spoke with his family. He had long since told them of what had happened and each of them offered words of support and comforted him, giving him as much love as they could. All of them remaining constantly by his side. But as the rest of the semester carried on, his time was filled with the same emptiness. It nagged and tugged at him incessantly, never stopping despite what his appearance showed, and Yuri hated it. He wanted nothing more than to be able to move on, but the memories remained in everything that he did and everything that he saw, never letting go.

Let me move on. Let me live my life. Please. It’s all that I ask.

* * *

Those same words constantly drifted through Yuri’s mind day after day as he tried to drive away the darkness. He was vaguely aware that he was blanking out again since Chris, who was sitting next to him in their British literature class, had a look that said he was prepared to bring Yuri back to the real word if anything need be. He mentally reminded himself that he owed Chris an ungodly number of drinks since along Phichit, Chris had constantly remained with him, ensuring that he was alright if Phichit wasn’t around. He added another mental note to buy their other friends a few drinks as well. It was getting close to the end of the semester now and though he was improving, it was clear that Yuri was still deeply affected by Viktor’s departure.

Turning his attention back to class, Yuri’s head nodded automatically as he listened to his professor speak. Although he was only taking the course since it was a requirement for his degree, Yuri found himself interested in it and did try to actively pay attention when he wasn’t taken away by his own thoughts.

“So in  _ Mrs. Dalloway _ , we have Peter Walsh, who’s characterized by his affections for Clarissa Dalloway, or more specifically, he’s constantly blinded and lost within his affections for Clarissa and is unable to move on from the fact that a relationship between the two of them is unlikely.”

This part caught Yuri’s attention and he sat up a bit straighter. He couldn’t see it, but Chris gave him a curious expression as he caught the small change in posture.

“Clarissa leaves Peter for someone else and Peter tells himself that he’s moving on, but he really hasn’t. He’s supposed to be marrying another woman, but every other thought seems to be about Clarissa and, for us, it’s clear that he’s still fixated with her. He keeps telling himself to move on and that he’s moved on, but he hasn’t actively done that at all. He plans on marrying another woman and that action implies that he should be able to move on, but he has not actively pushed himself to move. He is mentally unable to move forward and that leaves him lost in the past, unable to adapt to the times and make progress. Peter realizes this, but instead of doing what he needs to do to progress, Peter ignores it, continues to wallow in his own thoughts, and turns his own frustrations into criticism of others, pushing them away. He is unable to comprehend that the world has moved on without him, which, ultimately, leaves him alone.”

Oh.

It was as if a light had been turned on for Yuri, a revelation. So lost was he in his own thoughts, his own self-loathing, and his depression that he had done nothing else, but remain lost. All this time, he had tried to forget his memories of Viktor and erase them from his being, but he now realized that would be impossible. No. He wasn’t meant to remove them. He can’t remove them. All Yuri could do now was leave them be and move on. Yuri can’t change the fact that Viktor left, but he could change what he does afterwards. He was young and talented and he had a whole future ahead of him that shouldn’t be wasted wallowing away.

Yuri was lost in his thoughts again, but this time, Chris didn’t stop him. He realized that something had clicked for his friend and knew that this was the start of something new for Yuri. His thoughts were confirmed when his friend hugged him tightly after class and gave him a heartfelt “thank you” before rushing back home without any explanation.

Once home, Yuri gave the same tight hug to his best friend, who yelped in surprise since he was in the middle of chopping vegetables for dinner. Yuri gave no explanation then either, but gave another “thank you” before disappearing into his room. Phichit watched as he emerged a few seconds later and rushed out the door without a second thought. The actions were surprising, but Phichit let him be, once he caught a glimpse of Yuri’s determined expression. Yuri was learning to move on and that was more than Phichit could’ve ever asked for.

Yuri probably broke a handful of traffic laws as he speeded through the streets and haphazardly parked his car. He nearly forgot to lock it, if it weren’t for the man who had yelled at him in the parking lot. He practically jumped and did a barrel roll as he made his way into the building. The employees all stared at him wide-eyed when he slammed the door open and his eyes searched frantically for a familiar figure. He luckily found who he was looking for and the man in question gave him a warm smile.

“Yuri! What a pleasant surprise! I’m assuming you’re here to talk.”

“I am, William. I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for all of your support and kind words! They will always be greatly appreciated!!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com)


	21. Friends and Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's always someone on your side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're sad again, but we're getting better. We're getting Viktor this time too! Along with a special guest!
> 
> Also, I don't know if any of you will be interested, but I just posted my first Haikyuu!! fic, so feel free to check that out. :]
> 
> Anyway, enjoy!
> 
>  **EDIT:** I forgot to mention that I now have [an updates tag](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/tagged/annie-writes-updates) on my tumblr! Follow along there if you want to know how my writing is going!

Yuri was getting better. It was still a slow process, the ache of what had happened still lingered occasionally, but no longer was it at the forefront of his mind. It took some time, but one day, Yuri woke up and realized that Viktor was no longer the first thing he thought of when his mind was cleared of sleep, and that was when he knew he would be just fine. He had a lot of help, of course. His friends and family had constantly been by his side, but he felt everything really started when he finally approached William Taylor Hopkins about his job proposal.

Most people would’ve readily accepted the opportunity, but Yuri had hesitated when the offer was proposed. His lack of confidence in himself was clear to everyone, himself included, and he hated it, but the anxiety that ate at him kept him from progressing and he knew he couldn’t stop it. Not only that, with the end of Yuri’s undergraduate career approaching, Yuri was now faced with the daunting task of figuring out what he was going to do after graduating. The question was one that he did his best to avoid when asked during family reunions and he had been putting it off for close to four years now, but he knew it was time to finally face the question and determine something pertaining to his future path. It was a leap of faith, Yuri knew, one that required a strong, hard shove to get him to actually do, but now that he’s done it, there was no going back and he had never felt better.

Negotiations with William went easily. The older gentleman was just as kind as he was when they first met and Yuri was able to converse with him comfortably. Since William had mentioned how he had recently put up new paintings, Yuri had plenty of time to work on his pieces. This gave him a good start on his future plans and he was more than happy to share them with his best friend the moment he got home. There was still a lot for Yuri to figure out, but he was starting and slow progress is still progress.

The remainder of the semester went by as it usually did with finals and endless hours of studying. As always, Phichit had to get everyone together for a night of drinks and this time, Yuri wasn’t complaining about it. The thought of their living room being packed tightly with drunken college students didn’t usually appeal to Yuri, but he welcomed it this time, buying the drinks as promised. Here in the living room, practically laying on top of Chris and Phichit, warm due to the alcohol and proximity, Yuri had never felt more loved and at home, and all of his friends could see Yuri was becoming Yuri again.

“I love you all,” Yuri blurted out in the midst of everything. “So much. Thanks for dealing with my depressed self. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you.”

Yuri attempted to raise the bottle in his hand as some kind of toast or acknowledgement. The alcohol was getting to him though and his arm ended up falling limply as he leaned further into to Phichit, who was supporting him with his shoulder. All was hazy and dreamlike as he looked around at his friends laughing at his behavior. He could hear numerous people chime in with “we love you too, Yuri” afterwards and Yuri felt an undeniable warmth inside of him that soon lulled him to sleep.

Yes, Yuri Katsuki was happy and everything was going to be okay.

* * *

The same couldn’t be said for Viktor Nikiforov though.

On the other side of the world, Viktor was drinking as well, but not in revelry. A dram of Scotch in his hand that he was slowly sipping, gasping slightly as it burned his throat. He wasn’t normally a big Scotch drinker, but he had asked the bartender for his prefered drink and this is what he had ended up with, surprisingly. It was alcohol though and that’s all he wanted. Taking another sip, he tried to drink and forget the only thing that had been plaguing his mind these last couple of months: Yuri Katsuki.

Viktor didn’t want to leave him. He hadn’t meant to him. But somehow, before he had even realized it, he had pulled what he had from his savings, left Makkachin with a neighbor, and was on a plane to who knows where. No, he really hadn’t meant to, but he had and he hated himself for it. He hated how he threw what they had away like that. He hated knowing that he probably caused Yuri an unmeasurable amount of pain. He hated his stupid and impulsive behavior.

Like the year after he finished his degree, Viktor found himself unable to stay still and found himself drifting from place to place, a drink here, a drink there, a sleepless night here and another there. Now, here he was in a dingy bar in his hometown, the absolute last place he’d expect to be. He chuckled slightly since he never really expected to return either since the last time he was here was for his sister’s wedding. Quickly downing the rest of his drink, Viktor raised a hand to call for the bartender again. This time, he ordered the bottle.

Viktor didn’t bother to look up when the bartender brought him the bottle of vodka and a glass. He didn’t look up when he heard someone settle themselves next to him and continued to pour his own drink. He did look up when he heard a familiar voice call for the bartender.

“Just a glass of water for me, please.”

Looking over, Viktor’s eyes widened as he took sight of the person next to him, but quickly schooled his expression and turned back to his drink. He couldn’t deal with her big eyes now. Too much pity and kindness for him. It only made him feel guiltier.

He tossed back another drink, attempting to erase the feeling of her gaze on him. But he felt it itching at the side of his face. Even when the bartender handed her the glass of water, her gaze never left him. Done with the silence, Viktor sighed before acknowledging her presence.

“What are you doing here, Dasha?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Vitya,” responded Darya before taking a sip of her water. A kind look was on her face, but it made Viktor feel sick inside. He downed another drink and began to pour another one.

“I mean it, Dasha. What are you doing here? I purposely chose this bar because I didn’t think I’d run into anyone that I knew here.”

Darya giggled and the same light laughter that Viktor had heard growing up rang out in his ears. He should just leave now.

“Well, I didn’t know this place existed either, so that was a good idea on your part. However, it was pretty easy to find once I spotted you in a crowd.”

“So you followed me?” quipped Viktor. He turned his head towards her now.

“Pretty much, yeah,” replied Darya with a sheepish shrug.

“I should call the cops on you for that.”

“As if you’d do that to your own sister, Vitya.”

Viktor was the one to chuckle this time and Darya’s laughter soon matched it. The siblings enjoying the familiar banter from their younger days. Once the laughter subsided, the mood became serious again as Darya continued speaking.

“But now it’s time for you to answer my question. What are you doing here?”

Darya watched as Viktor turned back to his drink and his expression return to the somber one that she had seen when she had spotted him in the crowd, when she had walked into the bar. He was clearly debating how to answer the question and whether she was referring to the bar or their hometown. She thought about clarifying, but she knew that he understood what she meant. He took a sip before answering and she frowned at his answer.

“I don’t know.”

He took another sip and she remained silent, gently pushing him to continue.

“I really don’t know. I didn’t mean to leave him and come back here, but I did and I hate myself for it.”

“Him?”

Viktor hadn’t realized that he had let that slip out and scolded himself for it. Maybe he should stop with the drinking. He thought about denying it, but he knew his sister had already heard and there was no point in denying it now. He sighed.

“I met someone and we fell in love and I love him so much. But then I just left and I have no idea why. I really don’t know why. God, I hate myself so much. Why the hell did I do that?”

Darya’s frown deepened as she watched her older brother down another drink. He was almost done with three-fourths of the bottle and she had no way of knowing how much more he had drunken before she arrived. He was about to throw back another one when she reached out and removed the glass from his hand. That was enough for now. Once the drink was out of his hand, Viktor crossed his arms on the bar and hid his face in them. She could hear him sniffling.

“I messed up, Dasha. I messed up. I threw away the greatest thing to ever happen to me and I can never get him back. I can’t fix it. I messed up,” cried Viktor.

Darya let him cry. It was clear to her that he had been holding all of this in for some time now. She remained silent and rubbed soothing circles on his back as he continued to cry. At some point, Viktor finally stopped, but Darya knew he wasn’t up for talking just yet. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his shoulder and gently pulled him towards her. He didn’t fight the embrace at all, letting his head fall onto her shoulder. Darya was the one who began talking first.

“You said you love him.”

Viktor said nothing in response. He only further buried his face into her shoulder.

“If you love him, you should tell him.”

This time, Viktor shifted away from her, wiping away at former tears.

“What do you mean? I can’t do that. He’s probably moved on. He doesn’t love me anymore. Not after what I did to him.”

Viktor began to fiddle with the edge of his shirt. Darya wondered when he had picked up that habit. She reached out to hold one of his hands.

“You don’t know that,” she said. “You don’t know how he feels about you, Vitya. I don’t know everything yet, but I think it’s time for you to leave your drinking, sober up, figure out what’s up with you, and go back to him. You left and he probably wants some closure too. So go back. Talk to each other. At least figure out how he feels about you and go from there. Drinking won’t help you. So stop running for once in your life and do something.”

Viktor looked at his sister. The usual kind look in her eyes had been replaced with a serious one that seemed foreign on her, but was right given the situation. Finally looking at her now, he wondered when his sweet little sister had grown up so much and when he had grown so childish. She was right. He knew she was. There was no point in denying it, but now it was a matter of accepting it and explaining himself to Yuri.

Viktor gave a small nod of understanding and the soft look from earlier returned to Darya’s face. He gave a sigh before placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. More sober than he was before, Viktor finally stood up and Darya followed him out of the bar. The spoke briefly once outside.

“Thank you, Dasha. I owe you.”

“You’re my brother and I’m your sister. It’s what I do.”

Viktor nodded.

“But if you really want to pay me back, you could start by taking a shower because you smell like you’ve been bathing in alcohol for the past year and I don’t think whoever you were referring to earlier would enjoy that.”

This time, Viktor openly laughed for what felt like the first time in years. He smiled thankfully at his sister once again before she departed. He watched her leave and thought back to when they were younger, suddenly regretful that he hadn’t talked to her in so long since it was clear that she had always been on his side, even when their parents hadn’t been, even when he left and spoke to no one in their family for years. Here, Viktor was thinking that he was always alone when Darya had always been there. He gave a sigh of relief knowing that he hadn’t managed to completely ruin his relationship with one of the few people he knew to love him and he hoped that he’d be able to fix another one soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always! :D
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	22. Internal Discord

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I can't carry the weight of this war  
> I can't do it anymore  
> Everyone's wounded, nobody's won

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's time for another heavy chapter and also my longest chapter, but I have a special announcement that might make you feel better.
> 
> You might have noticed that this update is going up on a Friday instead of a Saturday and there's a very good reason for that.
> 
> If you've been following along on [the writing updates tag](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/tagged/annie-writes-updates) (You all might have missed it because I forgot to put it in the last chapter and had to edit it in. Oops...), you'll notice that I've been working on a super, secret fic. I was so excited about you all reading it that I posted it today, so I figured _Day by Day_ and _Yes, Professor_ deserve updates too. So if you're a fan of OHSHC, you should check out my new YOI fic, _[Kiss Kiss Katsudon!](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11218959/chapters/25065852)_
> 
> But if you're not interested, I hope you...enjoy(?) this chapter. Like I said, it's a heavy one, but it's one that's needed.

Things were going great for Yuri. He started his last semester well, getting into all of the classes he had wanted. Being his last semester, he wasn’t required to take as many courses, which left his schedule open for other activities. Many of his friends were in the same position, in terms of classes, so many of them had signed up for the same ones, allowing them more time with each other.

With his spare time, Yuri decided to spend it in the painting studio, working on his pieces for William. His pieces were coming along well. It took him some time, but with William’s help and support, Yuri was able to come up with a theme for his pieces. Since William didn’t expect them immediately, the lack of immediate deadline allowed Yuri to work at his own pace, bit by bit, giving him the opportunity to go back and fix things as well.

Yuri now had a better idea of what he was planning to do after graduating, due to Professor Okukawa. Since Yuri was around more than ever to work on his pieces, the professor had brought up the possibility of keeping him around permanently as her assistant in the studio. The young student was always around, she knew him well, and he had been unofficially assisting her for the last couple of years as well. It made sense to her that Yuri become her studio assistant and when she brought it up to the department heads, they all agreed.  Yuri was a good and hardworking student and they couldn’t have been happier when Yuri excitedly accepted the job offer. He hadn’t expected to stick around after graduating, but life was an odd thing.

The biggest change in Yuri’s life was with himself though. With these new opportunities coming, the old Yuri would’ve turned them all down, scared he wouldn’t meet his self-imposed expectations, anxiety constantly on his mind. He would’ve been hesitant and wary of any good thing that came his way, pausing to think and ponder everything until it was too late for him to do anything at all. The new Yuri was different. His anxiety was there, pestering, but Yuri saw himself better now. For years, he saw no worth in himself. He was just an artist and a student who was trying to get by, not much more to him than that. It was a sad thing, looking back on it now, but Yuri was thankful that Viktor left. Viktor might have been the one to help Yuri see his worth, but it took Viktor leaving for Yuri to fully see it. Viktor’s sudden departure left Yuri alone and he wallowed in his own depression, but it led him to seeing that he could stand on his own. Yuri didn’t need someone by his side to see his self-worth, to see that he was capable. Yuri can do that on his own. Yuri can be fine by himself. Yuri is more than enough. Yuri is better now.

* * *

Yuri was two and a half months into his last semester of uni when his mind finally thought about Viktor Nikiforov again.

Yuri was helping Minako clean paintbrushes in the studio as always when he heard footsteps behind him. This wasn’t unusual. Students came and went often to work on their own pieces and Minako would pop in to see how he was doing as well. Since Yuri knew Minako didn’t have a class at this time and none of his friends had texted, he assumed it was mostly likely Minako that had entered the space and didn’t bother to turn around.

“Hey. I’m almost done with cleaning the brushes and I’ll move onto fixing that broken easel in a bit. After that, if there’s anything else you need done, let me know, Professor Okukawa.”

Yuri didn’t get a response, but he didn’t think much of it. Minako could’ve been looking at her phone or something, so he gave her a minute to finish whatever it was she was doing, continuing to wash the last brushes. She never responded, so Yuri finished up what he was doing quickly and turned around to see what the issue might have been. He froze the moment he saw who it was, hands and jaw immediately tightening. He thought he had finally moved on and would finally be okay with facing him again, but that wasn’t true. Everything came rushing back and Yuri hated it.

“Yuri, I-”

“No.”

Yuri said nothing more as he brushed past Viktor. He needed some air. Yuri knew Viktor was here to explain himself, due to the regretful expression on his face, but Yuri was having none of it, not here, not now, not when things in his life were good. He walked as quickly as he could to Minako’s office down the hall, assuming that she would be on his side and would be able to calm everyone down, if the situation escalated. Yuri stopped to glare at Viktor when he felt his hand on his shoulder, severing their contact. Yuri didn’t feel bad at all when Viktor looked as if Yuri had slapped him, but he also knew Viktor felt as if he deserved it.

“Yuri, I know-”

“I don’t care, Viktor. I really don’t care. Just leave me alone.”

Yuri began to walk away again and Viktor followed after him, giving Yuri some space though.

“Yuri, please. Let me-”

“Explain? I told you. I don’t care, Viktor, so just go.”

Yuri hadn’t realized how much louder he was speaking until he heard Minako pop out of her office to see what was going on. The stern look she reserved for students hardened into a protective stare when she saw who Yuri was talking to. She silently beckoned for Yuri, who continued towards her. Viktor stopped walking when he saw Minako place herself between the two of them.

“I think you should leave, Viktor,” said Minako lowly. Viktor shook his head. “Viktor, leave.”

“I can’t do that. You know I can’t do that, Minako.”

“I think you should though.”

Viktor could see she was getting angrier by the second and he could see Yuri growing frustrated behind her as well, but he couldn’t let it end like this. He just needed a minute to say his part. That’s it.

“Please,” he begged. “Let me explain. Just let me explain what happened and you can decide what to do next. I didn’t mean to leave you and-”

“You didn’t mean to leave?”

Both of them turned to look at Yuri. He stepped around Minako to face Viktor. Viktor hated what he saw on Yuri’s face, a terrible mélange of weariness and hate.

“Yuri-”

“No. I’m going to talk. I’m going to explain some things to  _ you _ ,” Yuri cut Viktor off with a glare. Viktor nodded, but he knew Yuri would’ve continued whether he wanted him to or not. “You say you didn’t mean to leave, but you did. You left, Viktor. There’s no arguing that. It’s a damn fact.”

“I know and I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to leave you and I-”

“That’s just it, Viktor! I don’t care that you left  _ me _ . I really don’t care that you left me. In fact, I expected you to leave me.”

Yuri’s hands clenched into fists again. He took a deep breath before continuing.

“Viktor, when you came into my life, I thought you were one of the most brilliant people I had ever met and I still think that today. But I also knew you were completely out of my league, so I never thought something between us would’ve been possible. When we became friends, I was ecstatic because friendship was more than I could’ve ever asked for. I loved our friendship and I was thankful for it, but then that grew and grew and became something so much more. I was thrilled. One of the most brilliant people I knew became my one of my closest friends and then became my boyfriend? It was like a dream. I could keep my friend and still have a boyfriend. What more could I ask for?

“But during our entire time together, I was always wary. I knew our relationship would probably end at some point. Like I said, you’re brilliant and I knew it wouldn’t be long until someone like you moved on to bigger and better things in life and I was okay with that. I would’ve been fine if you left me. I didn’t expect to be the center of your universe and I never wanted to be the center of your universe. I really would’ve been fine if you had left me. But that’s not what I’m angry about. I really am not angry that you left me. I never once considered your departure as you leaving me. I was angry that you never told me.”

Yuri hadn’t realized he was crying, until he heard his own sniffles. He reached up to angrily wipe away at tears.

“You never told me you were leaving. You just left and I thought we were friends, Viktor. I thought we trusted each other. I thought you would’ve at least told me, but you didn’t. You didn’t tell anyone. You just ran off, without a trace. You might argue that your note was something, but those few lines of scribbles on a scrap piece of paper told me nothing. You didn’t have to give me details, if you didn’t want to, if you couldn’t, but you should’ve told me something. That’s why I’m angry. That’s why I’m frustrated. That’s why I cried. I felt like one of my closest friends couldn’t trust me, even after all that we had been through, even after all that we had shared. I thought we trusted each other.”

“Yuri-”

“I will never be angry at you for leaving, Viktor, but I am disappointed with how our friendship ended. Now, please leave. If you don’t want me in your life, I don’t want you here either.”

Viktor didn’t say anything this time. He only stood and watched with teary eyes and an aching heart as Yuri turned to leave. He said nothing to Minako on the way out, but he knew how close they were and that relationship probably grew after he left. They didn’t need words anymore. Minako was still glaring at him after Yuri was out of sight. Viktor looked away hesitantly. He wanted to say something, but words were failing him as he took in everything that Yuri had just dumped on him. He deserved everything that was said.

Viktor heard footsteps and looked up to see Minako walking towards him. He pulled back slightly when she stopped in front him, arms crossed, expression stern.

“You hurt him,” she said. “You hurt him a lot.”

“I know. I’m sorry. I know. I just. I just want to talk to him.”

Minako studied Viktor, taking in the dark circle beneath his eyes and how hair lacked the luster it once had. She knew how much Viktor had meant to Yuri and didn’t want to see him get hurt again, but she also knew how much Yuri meant to Viktor. She didn’t want to give him a second chance, but it wasn’t her place to say and it wasn’t like she could stop it from happening anyway. Minako sighed.

“Yuri isn’t the type to hold grudges, to be honest. I know you want to talk to him, but give him some time to breathe first. A lot has happened since you disappeared and your sudden appearance is a lot for him to take in right now. Give him a few days and try to talk to him.”

Viktor let out a sigh of relief at her words.

“Thank you, Minako. Really. Thank you.”

“Yeah. Sure,” she said tersely. She stepped closer again, anger emanating. “But just to be clear, Viktor, I’m only telling you this for Yuri’s sake. If I find out you hurt him again, I swear I will deal with you myself.”

Minako said nothing more, letting the threat linger before walking away to her office again. She didn’t bother turning around, but she knew Viktor was still frozen in place when she entered her office. With no one around, Minako sighed and rested her head on her desk. She was probably going to get alcohol poisoning with the amount she needed right now.

* * *

Taking Minako’s advice, Viktor waited before he talked to Yuri again. Yuri knew Viktor would come to talk to him and explain his side of things. He wasn’t sure how long he had, but he knew Viktor would wait a few days to do so, which gave Yuri the time to voice his concerns to Phichit and prepare for what was to come.

It was Saturday afternoon when Viktor knocked on their door. Phichit had been the one to answer and Viktor could see that Phichit was unhappy about what Viktor had done, knowing that he had been the one to help Yuri pick up the pieces of himself after he left. He only said that Yuri was in his room before leaving the apartment. He didn’t have to say anything for Viktor to know that he would have to deal with both him and Minako should Yuri end up unhappy again.

Viktor closed the door and slowly walked through the apartment. He had been anxiously waiting for so long to talk to Yuri, but now that he was here, he unconsciously wanted to prolong their second reunion, worried about how Yuri would react. He took a deep breath and knocked at Yuri’s door. He was relieved when he heard Yuri’s muffled voice telling him to come in. At least Yuri was willing to see him. Opening the door, Viktor saw Yuri sitting in his bed, holding a pillow in his lap. They said nothing to each other as Viktor awkwardly sat down in Yuri’s desk chair, hands tugging at the edge of his shirt. Yuri watched him the entire time. They sat in silence, Viktor uncertain of what to start with.

“Are you going to say anything? I thought you were here to talk.”

Viktor winced at the sharpness in Yuri’s tone. He knew Yuri wasn’t the type to get angry often, so to know that these emotions were directed at him made him feel even worse. Viktor calmed himself down with another deep breath. Yuri waited patiently for him to speak this time, understanding how Viktor was struggling with words.

“Yuri, I’m sorry. I know I hurt you and I understand if you don’t forgive me, but I want you know that I really am sorry for what I did to you. I also want to say thank you for letting me explain things to you. There’s a lot that I have to say too and I didn’t realize that until recently. The short explanation as to why I left is because I’m a coward and I was scared. I left because I was afraid. ”

He sighed.

“The longer explanation starts with my relationship with my family. I told you before that I wasn’t close with them and that’s true. We’ve never been close. I always felt very alone in my family. My parents always had high expectations for me since I was the first child, but I didn’t want any of it. I fought them every step that I could. I just wanted to do what I wanted and I understood that they wanted better for me, but I wasn’t happy with that and the gap between me and my parents grew, and it only grew even further when my sister arrived. I loved my sister and she loved me too, but after my parents recognized me as the problem child, their attention went to her and I thought she didn’t care for me either. I thought I was alone. I thought no one was there for me.

“Graduating with my art history degree was one of the best things I ever did. I felt it was the first real choice that I got to make and actually carry through, but there was still something lacking in my life. That’s why I left home, to find that something, to find a place of my own. You already know that I then went back and got my master’s and eventually, I found my way here with you and with all of the other wonderful people here. I was really happy when I realized how well I fit in, but that also scared me. All of my life, I had been alone, wanting to feel like I belonged, wanting someone on my side, but now that I had finally found it, I was scared and overwhelmed by it all. It was all too good to be true. Being alone is all I knew how to be, so when I finally found the love and support that I wanted it, I ran away.

“But I can’t blame my family for all of my problems. I can only blame myself. Everything really comes down to me and my stupid actions. When I first met you, I saw nothing, but potential and greatness. I knew you would go far and you’ve proven that many times. I know you’ll go even further. You consider me one of the best people you know, but really, I’m nothing compared to you, Yuri. You will always be better than me. I soon fell in love with you, not knowing that you felt the same way. A friendship with you was worth more than anything else in the world to me and I didn’t want to risk losing that by confessing. I swear I thought I had died the day you told me you loved me because it was only in my dreams that something like that could’ve ever happened, but it did. You loved me too and I couldn’t have been happier. I finally had someone who was really on my side. Not because they had to be, but because they wanted to be.

“But looking at you and then me, we’re so different. I looked back on my past and how I bounced around from place to place, never satisfied with anything and that scared me so much more than anything else ever could. I was scared that you wanted someone stable, someone constant, someone who would always be there, and I wanted to believe I could be that person for you and I wanted to badly to be that person for you, but I looked back and realized that I wasn’t. I wasn’t that person and I didn’t want to disappoint you when the time came and you realized that. You deserve someone that would be would there for you.

“I was also worried that because I had wandered around for so long trying to find my place and happiness that even though I knew I had found that with you, I would wake up one day, like in all of the other places I went to, and realize that I wasn’t satisfied here either. I left all of those places because I grew bored and unsatisfied with what they gave me and I was scared I would feel the same about you one day. I didn’t want to wake up one day and realize that I didn’t love you. I was afraid of having to face that. So it sounds really awful now that I’ve had the time to sort it all out and it  _ is  _ awful, but I left you because I didn’t want to hurt you later on. You have so much to look forward to in your future and I didn’t want to ruin that later by walking out on you. It’s still a really shitty thing that I did. I don’t expect you to excuse any of my behavior or accept this apology, but I really do mean it when I say that I’m so sorry for everything that I’ve done and that I do love you. I really fucked up and I hope you get the amazing future that you deserve. You deserve nothing, but the best, Yuri, and I’m sorry.”

Viktor hadn’t looked at Yuri the entire time he gave his reasons and he didn’t look as he got up to leave, not wanting to face the truth from Yuri. He didn’t notice he had been crying until he heard Yuri mumble something about the tissues on the desk, which Viktor grabbed a few of to dry his tears. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Yuri’s position hadn’t changed and his expression had remained unreadable. Viktor sighed and told Yuri that he would be at his old apartment if Yuri wanted to talk again, but he doubted Yuri would ever come by. He left feeling as if a weight had been lifted, but then dropped back down on him again, crushing him even further.

When Phichit came home later, he found Yuri laying on the living room floor, food surrounding him and a random movie on the television. Yuri clearly wasn’t paying attention to what was on the screen since it displayed the movie menu and Phichit knew he would be in for a long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you as always for you support and kindness! You all keep me going! <3
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	23. Renaissance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Remember when we fought together  
> It was us against the world  
> Remember how close we came  
> Wanna try that again?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is short and it's a mess and I deeply apologize for the disappointment of it all. It was a hard chapter to write because I felt like expectations were high, but I couldn't envision them doing that and in the end, I did what I wanted, but I still don't know if that was the right choice. I don't know. It's a mess. I feel really bad now because we've reached 10k hits, which is absolutely incredible. Really. Thank you so very much for that, but I feel like I could've done better for you all with this. I'm sorry.
> 
> I also feel bad because we're coming to an end with this story too. I estimate that we have about two chapters left, including an epilogue, so yeah. That's coming up.
> 
> I don't know what else to say, so here you go.

Phichit said nothing as he laid down next to Yuri and the two best friends stayed silent, letting the sound of the television fill the void. While Yuri was staring blankly at the ceiling, Phichit was laying on his side, facing his best friend, watching his expression carefully. Phichit had spent the last couple of hours with Chris, the two of them worrying about what the former lovers could possibly be discussing. He only hoped Viktor wouldn’t leave Yuri broken again, but if he did, he knew Yuri was in a much better place now, much stronger than he was before. Unlike the first time, he knew Yuri would be fine if Viktor tried to break him again.

“I don’t know what to do.”

Phichit raised an eyebrow, startled by the sound of Yuri’s voice. He remained silent, letting Yuri continue explaining all that was on his mind. Yuri turned to face him.

“Viktor explained why he left and I understood. I understood completely and I forgive him. I mean, I was never even angry about him leaving in the first place. I was angry he never told me. But now, he’s back and he’s explained everything and I forgive him. I think I always have, to be honest.”

Yuri paused and sighed. Phichit could see his eyes trying to fight back tears and the quivering in his lips. He reached out and pulled his friend in close to him, hugging him to his chest. He could feel Yuri take a shaky breath.

“Have you told him that, Yuri?”

Yuri shook his head.

“No, I haven’t. I wanted to, but I froze after he told me everything,” he sighed, “I really did miss him though. I mean, first and foremost, he’s my friend and I miss that, but I’m also worried.”

“Worried about what?”

“Worried about what might happen, about him leaving again, about being depressed again, about losing him again, about you all, about-”

“About us?”

Phichit looked down at his friend with a curious expression. Yuri nodded slightly.

“Yeah. You all were with me through this and even though I’ve already forgiven him, I wonder if you’ll think I’m making the right decision by doing that. I feel like you expect me to not immediately accept Viktor back and for him to do something grand and show his love for me, and I get that, but it’s also not  _ us _ , it’s not me and Viktor. We’ve had our fair share of disagreements as a couple and yeah, we get angry and we get frustrated and we say things we don’t mean and regret it later, but at the end of the day, we were friends and neither of us wanted to lose that. It feels fine for us to just talk it out and move on, but I can’t help feeling like maybe you’ll be disappointed in me for doing that, like you won’t approve of it.”

“Oh Yuri,” said Phichit. He pulled his best friend in closer. “First off, don’t worry about us. Just do what you feel is right.”

“But-”

“Don’t. Yuri, we’re your friends and we love you. We care about you a lot and we want what’s best for you, but that doesn’t mean we won’t support whatever decisions you make.”

“But-”

“We’ll tell you if you do something stupid, but if this is what you truly feel is right, we aren’t going to stop you, Yuri. Okay? Don’t worry about us. Worry about yourself.”

Yuri stayed quiet, letting Phichit’s words sink in. He knew a huge part of his anxiety came from the fact that he was perpetually worried about what others thought of him and what they would say. He hated the idea of being judged for doing what he wanted, but he also knew Phichit was right. It didn’t make it any less terrifying though. But once again, Phichit was right. This was Yuri’s decision to make and he was going to do what he felt was best.

“Okay,” whispered Yuri, finding as much courage as he could. “Okay.”

“Don’t worry about what might happen either, about getting hurt and falling down that hole again. You’re not the same person that you were then. You know that. You’re much stronger now. You’re going to be okay and if you’re not, we’ll still be here to help you get better. No matter how long it takes, we’ll still be here.”

Yuri sighed and nodded. Phichit began rubbing soothing circles into his back and they remained embraced for some time, allowing Yuri to sort through his thoughts. He was scared still, but he’d be fine. He knew that now.

* * *

Viktor hadn’t expected to hear someone knocking at his door on a Sunday morning and Makkachin certainly hadn’t either, judging from how they were excitedly running around Viktor’s feet as he tried to reach the front door. He had only spoken to Yuri just yesterday, so Viktor assumed that it was maybe his neighbor, the one who had taken care of Makkachin while he was away, coming by to drop something off that they might have left behind. Makkachin always did have a habit of hiding their toys in odd places. Opening the door, Viktor’s eyes widened. He now realized what had gotten Makkachin so worked up when the dog suddenly jumped at Yuri. Yuri seemed to anticipate this and only happily greeted them before looking up at him. Viktor couldn’t find his voice when Yuri greeted him and only opened the door wider, silently inviting him in. Old memories resurfaced for the both of them when Yuri sat in his usual place on the couch and Viktor sat next to him. The tension was evident. Neither of them knew where to begin. No sounds were made, not even from Makkachin.

“How, uh, how have you been?” asked Yuri hesitantly. His hands clutching at his shirt like always and Viktor mirrored his action.

“Oh, um. Good? I’m good, I guess.”

“G-good.”

They both nodded and looked away from each other. This was going nowhere. One of them had to do something. Yuri clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes before speaking.

“I came to tell you that I accept your apology,” he stated finally. He peeked open an eye and could see pure shock on Viktor’s expression.

“You do?” Viktor breathed. He couldn’t fathom what Yuri said, but Yuri nodded, confirming that what he said was true. They were both staring at each other now, gauging the other’s reactions.

“I do. I understand. I understand why you left and it’s okay.”

Viktor stared at Yuri, seeing the honest in his eyes. Yuri truly meant it and he couldn’t believe it.

“Thank you,” he said after some time. “Thank you, Yuri.”

“However,” interrupted Yuri, “I don’t know if we can go back to what we were before.”

“Oh,” whispered Viktor. “I see.”

Viktor felt the tears coming and his fists tightened. He knew it was too good to be true. Of course Yuri wouldn’t want anything to do with him anymore. He had left Yuri in pieces and it was only fair that Yuri wouldn’t want to be with him anymore. It was like having his heart torn out, but he knew this was coming. He knew this was what he deserved.

“I mean as a couple!” blurted Yuri, realizing his poor choice in phrasing “I mean as a couple. It’s hard to immediately go back to that after everything.”

Viktor let out a sigh of relief. “Oh. Right. I understand.”

“But I still want us to be friends,” continued Yuri. “I still want you in my life. We were friends first and I don’t want to lose that. We’ve been through a lot together and even after everything, I still consider you a friend. Maybe one day, we can get what we had back, but not now, not yet.”

Yuri watched Viktor as the ruminated on his thoughts. He wasn’t sure if Viktor would agree to it. It was hard going from friends to lovers and back to friends. It hardly ever worked out, but Yuri wanted this to work out so badly that he could feel his heart aching. Viktor had a sad look in his eyes and Yuri was preparing for rejection, but instead, Viktor gently smiled at him and nodded.

“I’d like that. I’d like that very much.”

It was Yuri’s turn to sigh in relief. They both smiled at each other, happy to clear the elephant in the room, but moving on was an awkward act given everything. Viktor didn’t know where Yuri’s courage had come from, but he was glad that he had found it since it was Yuri who had shyly asked if Viktor wanted to join him for breakfast and catch up on everything that had happened during their time apart.

It might have seemed odd for them to move on so quickly, but for them, it wasn’t. Both of them considered the other to be their friend first and nothing was going to change that. They both valued the other’s presence in their life far too much to let something like this overshadow everything that they had grown together. And it wasn’t that they were planning to overlook this completely, but rather, they were both willing to accept it and move on. They both wanted to return to what they had before, but knew that wouldn’t be possible until they accept what happened and so they silently agreed to let it be. Neither were worried about what might come since they knew they had the other by their side now and if at some point that ended, they also knew that they were just as capable alone now. They were going to be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all of your kind words and support. <3
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com/)


	24. Amar Pelos Dois

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Without making plans of what will come after  
> My heart can love for the both of us

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe we're almost done. I won't say much now, but be prepared for some extra long notes in the next chapter because it will be the last one.  
> Also, be on the look out for the special announcement in the notes for the next chapter too. Some of you might actually already know what it is since I mentioned it in a previous chapter, but it's certainly has been a while. XP

“So...what, uh, how, um, how have you been since…?”

Viktor was desperately floundering for how to approach the situation. He had been fiddling with the napkins on the table ever since he and Yuri were seated in the café and there was now a small pile of shreds in front of him now. Yuri, however, was surprisingly calm. He watched Viktor with an amused look as he stuttered and danced around the vein, not wanting to upset Yuri. He found it endearing, but it was also interesting to see how their positions had flipped from the first time they had met.

“Are you trying to ask me how I’ve been since you left, Viktor?” asked Yuri bluntly.

Viktor’s eyes widened and he stuttered even more, making Yuri laugh. He knew Viktor was only trying to be careful, but it still amused him greatly.

“I already told you that it’s okay and that I understand, Viktor. Calm down and let’s talk like we used to.”

Viktor gave Yuri a curious expression. He assumed a lot had happened since he left, but he hadn’t expected Yuri to change this much. Sitting before him was not the same anxious mess that had ran out of his office, but rather someone with quiet confidence and strength. He was more certain of himself, valuing himself and his feelings. Yuri didn’t have to look towards him for his strength anymore and the realization made Viktor want to weep. He hated his decision to leave and knew it was one of the most painful things to happen to either of them, but seeing Yuri like this, Viktor also knew that his leaving was one of the best things that could’ve happened to them.

Viktor took a deep breath and nodded. “Right. Sorry. Just a bit more nervous than I expected to be.”

“I understand,” nodded Yuri.

“Thanks,” said Viktor. “So how have things been since...I left?”

Yuri gave a small smile and began recounting everything that had happened to him. He expected it to feel awkward between the two of them and he knew Viktor felt uncomfortable too, but once he started speaking, it felt as if they had been friends for a lifetime. Yuri recounted how he had been working on pieces for Voyageons and Viktor raved about how good the galette de sarrasin were there and how Yuri had to try them, if they were on the menu still. They laughed about how Viktor had gotten drunk at a jazz club in Paris and missed the last metro train and had to walk home at 2 in the morning. Viktor congratulated Yuri on his position as Minako’s assistant and Yuri smiled when Viktor told him about how he had met up with his sister. They weren’t a couple yet, but they were certainly back to where they were before.

* * *

It began slowly. Yuri still had classes and Viktor was technically still on leave, so they weren’t able to see each other during the school day. They began to text each other more frequently during the day, each of them smiling every time they heard their phone go off, so texting became their main form of communication. Since Viktor had left Yuri a spare key, Yuri began to slowly become a more frequent presence in Viktor’s space on the weekends and weekdays as well. Makkachin was delighted about having their unofficial second owner back, but they were nowhere near as happy as Viktor was.

But it soon reached a point where that wasn’t enough. They were growing familiar with the constant presence of each other and missed how they were always around. Viktor was hesitant at first, but soon accepted Yuri’s offer to join him in the art studio. He was worried about Minako would react to him being there, but was met with a smile instead. She knew about his and Yuri’s situation and only wanted Yuri to be happy and if Yuri wanted Viktor around, Minako was glad to have him as well.

Viktor found himself falling more in love with Yuri during his studio visits. Whether Yuri was actually painting or not didn’t matter because Yuri put everything that he had into every task. Even when he was tired or not feeling his best, he did what he could and Viktor felt warm knowing that his assumptions about Yuri’s passion wasn’t just met, but surpassed. He knew that when Yuri asked for friendship, he’d long for more than that, but as they continue to relive what they had, his feelings grew more and he wished he could move time forward, so they could finally be.

The first time they held hands again, Viktor nearly cried, missing the way Yuri’s hand fit into his own and how Yuri would eventually pull away and draw designs into his palm, creating art that only Viktor would ever know of. Yuri had come over to help him catch up on the shows he had missed out on while on his drunken escapade. It was getting late, so Yuri had rested his head on Viktor’s shoulder, using it as a pillow. The action was familiar from when they used to date, so he then unconsciously reached for Viktor’s hand, intertwining their fingers together like how they used to before. Viktor said nothing, but his heart skipped a beat when it happened, simply squeezing Yuri’s hand to be sure. Yuri didn’t pull away.

More firsts that occurred again soon followed and Viktor knew that they were on the way towards becoming a couple again, but nothing prepared him for when they finally kissed. Like the hand holding and many other firsts, Yuri hadn’t been aware of his actions, only acting on instinct, on what felt right.

Viktor heard Yuri enter his flat from his bedroom, the sound of the door opening causing Makkachin to perk up and go greet him. Viktor followed after his dog, catching sight of Yuri quickly setting his things down before Makkachin lept at him, asking to be pet like always. Yuri happily obliged and smiled widely at the greeting, but Viktor could see how tired he was.

“Hey. You okay?” he asked.

Yuri sighed and nodded, giving a tired smile. Makkachin was now sitting beside him patiently. “Yeah. Just a long day. Lots of work, but nothing I couldn’t handle though.”

Viktor hummed in understanding and nodded. Yuri could see he was concerned and was thankful for it, but he didn’t like seeing Viktor getting worried over nothing like this. He walked over and cupped Viktor’s cheeks, squishing them slightly and making both of them giggle at the childish action. Viktor reached up to hold Yuri’s hands in his, but didn’t remove the from his face.

“There we go,” said Yuri, once he was satisfied with Viktor. He gently pulled Viktor down so their foreheads would meet. Their gazes met and both were filled with a familiar warmth. “I’m alright. Just a bit tired, but I’ll be fine.”

Viktor sighed and nodded, understanding that Yuri was perfectly capable now. Yuri gave him a smile in return and patted his cheeks. He then leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on Viktor’s lips. He pulled away and walked towards the kitchen, leaving Viktor frozen and wide-eyed.

“Good. I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry and I don’t feel like cooking. So is it alright if we order something tonight?”

Yuri didn’t bother waiting for an answer since he knew Viktor would probably agree since he lacked the cooking skills that Yuri had. He was already rifling through the many take-out menus that Viktor so often left lying on the counter, when he felt arms wrapping around him. Yuri knew it had to be Viktor since it was unlikely that Makkachin suddenly gained arms, but he jumped at the feeling nonetheless. He turned his head around and laughed when Viktor burrowed his face into the crook of his neck, his hairs tickling Yuri’s cheeks. Viktor then began placing kisses on Yuri’s neck that slowly moved up towards his cheek and temple and finally came back down to place a brief kiss on Yuri’s lips. Viktor pulled away and looked at Yuri with pure love and adoration. Yuri returned the look. Neither of them had to say anything. The message was clear.

_ I love you and I want to be with you. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so very much for everything!
> 
> [dangcommaannie.tumblr.com](http://dangcommaannie.tumblr.com)


	25. Epilogue

“Like flowers and vines, you all were nothing more than small seeds, lying still within the earth, but with sunlight and water in the form of knowledge and experience, you have all grown substantially and are blossoming before the world. Like birds, you hatched as featherless messes, but have developed wings that will help you soar high above all others. Like a balloon-”

Yuri sighed and shook his head as the university president continued with his graduation speech. He was a nice enough man, but he certainly didn’t know when to end his speeches, always dancing around the vein. Looking around, Yuri could see that many others were just as done as he was, but it was a small price to pay since they were all graduating. Just a few more minutes and he would be done.

A few months ago, the thought of graduating was a terrifying thought to Yuri. Having no idea what his plans for the future held scared him greatly, but he pushed forward, moving one step at a time for slow progress is still progress. Yuri smiled to himself knowing that he had gotten lucky with all of this and shivered with anticipation at what the future may hold for him.

“Congratulations, class of 20XX!”

As those words were said, Yuri and the crowd around him arose in a wave of cheers and jubilation. A sea of graduation caps were seen flying through the air. Yuri immediately met with his friends, congratulating and hugging each other before they separated to greet their families. Phichit was the first to his side, tackling him with a tight hug. Christophe came after that with a hug of his own as well. He greeted Sara and Michele, as well as Emil, Guang-Hong, and Leo too. He heard a familiar voice calling for him after he and JJ congratulated each other.

“Yuri! Over here! Yuri!”

Yuri turned and smiled brightly upon realizing who it was and raced over to them immediately, giving them a tight hug.

“Mom!”

Yuri’s mother held him tightly, tears of joy in her eyes. “Oh! I can’t believe you’re graduating already! I’m so proud of you, Yuri!”

Yuri’s father came up and laughed. “Honey, let Yuri breath for a moment.”

Hiroko let go of her son, tears still in her eyes, and laughed as well. “Of course. Of course.”

Yuri joined in with their laughter before hugging his father as well. He then turned to Mari, who gave him a smile before the two of them hugged. When they pulled apart, Yuri noticed Minako chatting with his mother and went over to give his thanks to her.

“Professor Okukawa, thank you for everything these past four years. I really wouldn’t have done it without you.”

Minako only smiled and held her arms open. Yuri smiled back and the two embraced each other tightly.

“Of course, Yuri,” whispered Minako. She pulled away, still smiling, but then her expression morphed into one of faux sternness. “But we’re co-workers, so none of that Professor Okukawa business anymore. It’s Minako now.”

Yuri chuckled and nodded.

“Yuri?”

He turned towards the voice and smiled at who he saw. Pulling away from Minako, Yuri walked over to the other person.

“Yes, Professor?”

Yuri smiled cheekily as Viktor laughed and looked away, shaking his head. He turned back to Yuri, who was giving him an expectant look, tilting his head slightly. Viktor gave Yuri a smile.

“Congratulations, Yuri.”

“Thank you, Professor.”

Viktor shook his head and laughed once again. This time, Yuri’s laughter joined his own. Unable to take it any longer, Viktor wrapped his arm around Yuri’s waist, making Yuri let out a surprised squeak, and pulled them together.

“Come here, you,” he said before leaning down to kiss Yuri deeply.

They had kissed many times before this, of course, but this one was different. This one was new. It was filled with their time and love for each other, but also all of the pain and hardships they had endured together as well. In this kiss, they poured all that they had been holding and withholding for months, along with all of the things that could not be formed into coherent words. They poured all that they had missed about the other and all that they had missed while they were together into it. They had kissed many times before this, of course, but this one felt as if they were kissing for the first time all over again, giddy with love and anticipation.

They could hear the loud cheering of their friends and family around them, but neither of them cared. They didn’t have to worry about that anymore and even if they did, they knew they had each other and that was more than enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt.  
> I can’t believe it. I finished. My first multi-chapter fic is done. _Yes, Professor?_ is officially done. Holy shit. This is really...surreal. My god.
> 
> I know I say this every time, but thank you so very much for all of your support and kindness throughout all of this. I really could not have done this without you all. I mainly began writing this story as a way for me to deal with and face all of the emotions that I had ignored for the past year or so, regarding my friend, so I didn’t expect people to read or like this at all and to be honest, I didn’t really care either because this was largely meant to be a cathartic experience for me. But as I continued to write this, with your kindness and support, I not only faced all that I had been holding in, but I was able to improve and gain more confidence in my writing abilities. For so long, the majority of my reading and writing was academically related and I was very apprehensive about writing anything besides that. But this incredible show came along and I felt compelled to write, to create, like I used to and I feel so blessed to know that you all supported me and believed in me during this process of mine. As you all know this was a piece that is deeply personal to me and it means a lot having all of you show so much support and appreciation for what I created. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Words truly cannot begin to explain how grateful I am.  
> Reading through parts of it now and looking at the kind of writing I’m capable of now made me realize that this could’ve been much better written, but I will never go back and change it or rewrite it any other way, shape, or form. This is such a personal and precious piece to me and it will always be the way that it is, in it’s truest form.
> 
> But on the topic of new writing, I mentioned having a special announcement in the previous chapter. Back in ch. 11, I hinted at this, but I do plan on having a spin-off piece to this one, so get ready for _Hey Mister DJ_ , my first Otayuri fic that will also be set in the same universe as this one. It’ll be set after this one, so there’s no overlap in timelines, but you will get some cameos from Viktor and Yuri. There’s no need to read both of them. I’ll have it listed as a series, but there’s a reason I’m calling it a spin-off and not a sequel. I’m nervous about this one too, but I’ll try to get the first chapter up by next week. It’ll take longer for me to update that one since I’m not drawing from my own experiences, like with this story, but I hope you enjoy it too.
> 
> Thank you so very much for everything that you have given me. I will never forget it and I thank you for sharing this experience with me. See you next level!


End file.
